The crest of Çaykur Rizespor reflects the club's strong connection to the Black Sea region and its world-famous tea industry, which has become the defining symbol of both the city of Rize and the football club. Throughout its history, the badge has consistently featured the iconic tea leaves, representing the region's cultural and economic identity.
The club's first widely recognised crest, used between 1968 and 1991, featured a simple circular green-and-blue badge displaying two green tea leaves at its centre. The colours symbolised the lush green tea plantations of Rize and the nearby Black Sea, while the founding year 1953 appeared at the bottom of the emblem. This badge became closely associated with the club's rise through Turkish football.
In 1991, following sponsorship by Çaykur, Turkey's national tea company, the club officially adopted the name Çaykur Rizespor and introduced a redesigned crest. The new circular badge retained the famous tea leaves, but added the full club name "Çaykur Rizespor Kulübü" around the outside in red and green, with the founding year 1953 displayed below. The cleaner, more modern design reinforced the club's close relationship with the tea industry while preserving its traditional colours and regional identity.
Caykur Rizespor Club History
Founded in 1953, Çaykur Rizespor is the leading football club of the city of Rize, located on Turkey's lush Black Sea coast. The club was formed through the merger of several local teams to create a strong representative for the region. Originally known simply as Rizespor, the club adopted its current name after a sponsorship agreement with Çaykur, Turkey's state-owned tea company, reflecting the area's world-famous tea industry. Wearing its traditional green and blue colours, the club is affectionately known as "Atmacalar" (The Hawks).
For much of its early history, Rizespor competed in Turkey's lower divisions before earning promotion to the Turkish First Division for the first time in 1979. From that point onwards, the club established itself as one of the Black Sea region's most recognisable football institutions, regularly alternating between the top two divisions while maintaining a loyal and passionate fan base.
Following the arrival of Çaykur as the club's principal sponsor in 1990, Rizespor strengthened both financially and organisationally. The club became a regular competitor in the Süper Lig, frequently challenging established Turkish clubs despite operating with a comparatively modest budget.
Although Çaykur Rizespor has never won the Turkish Süper Lig or the Turkish Cup, the club has enjoyed several memorable campaigns in the top flight. It has consistently produced talented Turkish players and has occasionally qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, representing Turkish football in European competition during the early 2000s.
The club has experienced several promotions and relegations throughout the modern era but has repeatedly demonstrated resilience by returning to the Süper Lig. In recent seasons, Rizespor has remained a competitive presence in Turkey's highest division, combining experienced international players with promising domestic talent.
The club's fiercest rivalry is with Trabzonspor in the Black Sea Derby (Karadeniz Derby), one of the most passionate regional rivalries in Turkish football. Matches against Samsunspor and Orduspor have also traditionally attracted strong local interest.
