Kocaelispor

Kocaelispor, known as Körfez (The Gulf), is a professional football club from İzmit, Turkey. Founded on April 24, 1966, the club has experienced a turbulent history, with periods of top-flight success followed by financial collapse and a fall to the amateur ranks. Their resilience and steady rebuilding have brought them back to the Süper Lig for the 2024–25 season, ending a 16-year absence.

The club's traditional colors are green and black, and they play at the 34,829-seat Kocaeli Stadium, officially called Turka Araç Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu. Their best Süper Lig finish was fourth in 1992–93, and they have won the Turkish Cup twice, in 1997 and 2002. These successes earned them European competition appearances. Under the guidance of various managers, the team has featured notable players like Hakan Şükür and Sergen Yalçın, who contributed to the club's storied past.

Kocaelispor's intense rivalries with Sakaryaspor and Gebzespor add a passionate edge to regional matches. After financial troubles led to successive relegations in the 2010s, the club dropped to amateur leagues. A determined rebuilding effort, marked by consecutive promotions, has restored their place in the top tier, much to the delight of their loyal fanbase. [edit]

Kocaelispor was founded in 1966 in İzmit, and first reached the top division, then called the First League, in the 1980–81 season. The club's best-ever Süper Lig finish came in the 1992–93 season when they placed fourth. They remained a consistent top-flight presence during two main periods: 1980–1988 and 1992–2003.

However, the club's fortunes collapsed in the 2010s due to severe financial troubles, leading to successive relegations that dropped them all the way to the Turkish Regional Amateur League. A determined rebuilding effort, marked by consecutive promotions, restored their top-tier status, and they were crowned champions of the TFF First League to earn promotion to the Süper Lig for the 2024–25 season. [edit]