Kocaelispor

Kocaelispor
Full nameKocaelispor Kulübü
Nickname(s)Körfez (The Gulf)
Founded1966 (1966)
GroundKocaeli Stadium
Capacity34,829
ChairmanRecep Durul
Head coachSelçuk İnan
LeagueSüper Lig
2024–25TFF 1. Lig, 1st of 20 (promoted)
Websitekocaelispor.com.tr

Kocaelispor (Turkish pronunciation: [kod͡ʒaˈelispoɾ], lit. 'Kocaeli Sports Club'), s a professional football club based in İzmit, Kocaeli Province, Turkey. Founded in 1966, the club competes in the Süper Lig, the highest tier of the Turkish football league system, and plays home matches at the 34,829-seat Kocaeli Stadium. The team’s traditional colours are green and black.

Kocaelispor has had several top-flight spells, most notably from 1980 to 1988, 1992 to 2003, and in the 2008–09 season. Their best league finish was fourth in the 1992–93 season. The club has won the Turkish Cup twice, in 1997 and 2002, and has participated in European competition.

Nicknamed Körfez (The Gulf), the club has a strong following in İzmit and the surrounding Kocaeli region. Its fiercest rivalry is with Sakaryaspor, contested in the Körfez Derbisi (Gulf Derby).

After financial collapse and successive relegations in the 2010s, Kocaelispor dropped into the amateur leagues. A rebuilding process led to successive promotions, culminating in a return to the Süper Lig in the 2024–25 season after a 16-year absence.

History

Foundation and Early Years (1957–1980)

The roots of Kocaelispor go back to the late 1950s. In 1957, representatives of local side Baçspor petitioned the İzmit municipality for a dedicated training ground. Then-mayor Osman Gencal, himself a former athlete and Baçspor member, supported the project and oversaw the allocation of a 28-acre municipal plot in Baç for sporting use.[1][2]

By the early 1960s Baçspor had redeveloped the area and in 1964 proposed forming a fully professional team to apply to the national second tier (2. Lig). At the time the federation’s regulations required a composite club structure with adequate facilities and staff, and encouraged local mergers to concentrate resources.[3] In 1966 three İzmit clubs—Baçspor, İzmit Gençlik and Doğanspor—agreed to unite under a single umbrella; at a joint congress the name was adopted and green–black were chosen as the club colours.[4][5] The new board launched a subscription campaign that raised an initial budget reportedly around 175,000 lira to build the first squad and meet entry requirements for national competition.[6]

were admitted to the 1. Lig for the 1966–67 season and quickly became the region’s flagship representative in Turkish professional football.[7] The club earned a first-ever promotion to the Süper Lig (top flight) in 1980, remaining at that level for eight consecutive seasons during the 1980s.[8] After relegation battles and disputed disciplinary rulings in the late 1980s, Kocaelispor’s league status was the subject of appeals that culminated in a decision by the Council of State affecting relegation procedures; the club subsequently returned to the top tier during that period following the legal process.[9][10]

Kocaelispor former club building

The “Legendary Roster” and first European campaign (1992–93)

Back in the top division after promotion in 1991–92, Kocaelispor opened the 1992–93 1. Lig at full throttle under coach Güvenç Kurtar. On opening day they beat Kayserispor 7–2 in İzmit, a result widely reported as a statement of intent.[11] Through the autumn the “Kocaeli fırtınası” put together a long unbeaten run and finished the first half among the leaders; a spring dip cost a podium place, but the team still recorded the club’s best top-flight finish to that date (4th) and qualified for Europe.[12] That league placing earned a berth in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup, the first European campaign in Kocaelispor history.[13]

Kurtar’s side blended a Balkan-school defensive spine with quick, vertical transitions. In goal, former Yugoslavia international Fahrudin Omerović provided commanding shot-stopping and organization after his 1992 summer move.[14] At centre-back, Stevica Kuzmanovski and Mirko Mirković—who later took Turkish citizenship as Mert Meriç—formed a robust pairing noted for aerial strength and tight marking.[15][16]

Up front, academy product Bülent Uygun partnered Saffet Sancaklı, creating one of the league’s most direct and productive forward lines; contemporaneous reports highlighted Uygun’s second-ball finishing and Sancaklı’s runs in behind as core patterns of Kurtar’s narrow 4-4-2.[17] Sancaklı’s subsequent moves to Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were framed as a natural step after his İzmit breakthrough.[18] With contributors such as Bülent Baturman, Halil İbrahim Kara, Melih Erdem and Ergun Kula, the side set club records for top-flight wins and goals at the time.[19]

The fourth-place finish secured Europe and fixed the 1992–93 squad in local memory as the “efsane kadro” (legendary roster).[20] The momentum carried into the following autumn’s UEFA Cup, confirming the step-change in the club’s stature.[21]

Successes, relegations, and fall to the amateur leagues (1995–2015)

Building on a top-five league finish in the 1995–96 campaign, Kocaelispor qualified for the summer UEFA Intertoto Cup, which—at the time offered additional paths into European competition. İzmit’s side treated the July fixtures as a continuation of their domestic momentum, drawing strong crowds at İzmit İsmetpaşa and recording competitive results against continental opposition before bowing out in the latter stages of the programme.[22][23]

The club’s breakthrough arrived the following season in the national cup. Under the guidance of coach Güvenç Kurtar, Kocaelispor navigated a demanding bracket in the Turkish Cup, dispatching several top-flight opponents en route to the final and leaning on a compact defensive shape and rapid transitions that became the hallmark of the side.[24] In the two-legged 1997 final they defeated Trabzonspor on aggregate, winning the club’s first major national trophy and earning a berth in European competition for the following season.[25][26] The triumph was widely viewed as a landmark for the Green-Blacks, validating a player-recruitment strategy that blended experienced domestic names with rising talents from the Yugoslav football school already on the roster.[27]

Five years later Kocaelispor produced an even more emphatic finale. Having again pieced together a robust cup run—this time with a deeper attacking rotation—the team lifted its second national title by defeating Beşiktaş in the 2002 Turkish Cup Final with a one-sided scoreline that remains one of the most memorable showpieces of the era.[28][29] Contemporary reports highlighted both the tactical flexibility shown across two halves and the intensity of the İzmit support, underlining how the club’s provincial identity fed directly into performance on the day.[30]

Each cup victory carried a continental dividend. The 1997 success delivered European qualification under the then-existing format, while the 2002 title secured a place in the early rounds of the UEFA competition of the following season, giving Kocaelispor fresh exposure and revenue at international level.[31] More broadly, the twin triumphs bookended Kocaelispor’s most decorated period: they cemented the club’s reputation as one of the few sides outside the traditional Istanbul trio capable of lifting major silverware in the modern era, and they remain central to the Green-Blacks’ institutional identity and supporter culture today.[32]

These victories remain historic milestones for the club and its supporters. However, following the 2002–03 season, Kocaelispor was relegated after finishing last in the Süper Lig. After spending five seasons in the TFF First League, they won the 2007–08 championship and earned promotion back to the Süper Lig. This return lasted only one season due to financial difficulties, and the club was relegated again after losing 3–1 at home to Trabzonspor on 9 May 2009 in Round 31, finishing 17th. The following season, after a 2–1 away defeat to Kartalspor on 4 April 2010, Kocaelispor was relegated to the TFF Second League, the third tier of Turkish football.

During the 2007–08 campaign Kocaelispor used three head coaches Fuat Yaman, Kayhan Çubuklu and Engin İpekoğlu yet still clinched the 1. Lig title and a return to the Süper Lig.[33][34] A severe financial squeeze and squad turnover, however, triggered back-to-back relegations: first from the top flight in 2008–09, and then to the TFF Second League after the 2010–11 season.[35][36] Finishing bottom of the Second League White Group in 2011–12 pushed the club down again — to the fourth tier — and, after protracted off-field problems, Kocaelispor fell into the Turkish Regional Amateur League in April 2014 following a 1–0 defeat to İstanbulspor with four rounds remaining.[37][38]

In the 2014–15 Regional Amateur League season Kocaelispor battled promotion rivals including Tekirdağspor, Çengelköyspor and Arnavutköy Belediyespor, but despite a long spell at the summit finished 4th in Group 11.[39] The following season brought a decisive turnaround: Kocaelispor won their group and then defeated Sultangazispor 2–0 in a neutral-venue promotion play-off at Eskişehir on 24 April 2016 — goals from Sinan Pektemek and Hamza Mutlu sealing a long-awaited rise back to the professional pyramid (TFF 3. Lig).[40][41][42]

Return to the professional leagues (2016–present)

Promoted from the Regional Amateur League in April 2016, Kocaelispor restarted life in the 3. Lig in 2016–17. They finished 4th in their group but fell short in the promotion play-offs, remaining in the division; the following season (2017–18) brought a mid-table 13th-place finish.[43][44] In 2018–19 Kocaelispor climbed to 2nd in their group but again could not secure promotion via the play-offs.[45]

The pandemic-affected 2019–20 season was curtailed with Kocaelispor leading their 3. Lig group; the TFF confirmed group leaders would be promoted, sending the club up to the 2. Lig for 2020–21.[46][47] Momentum continued in 2020–21: Kocaelispor finished 3rd in the 2. Lig Kırmızı Grup and won the promotion play-offs — defeating Sakaryaspor 4–0 in the final to return to the 1. Lig after a single year.[48][49]

The step up proved difficult: in 2021–22 Kocaelispor finished 16th in the 1. Lig and were relegated back to the 2. Lig.[50][51] The response was emphatic: in 2022–23 the club won their 2. Lig group to clinch immediate promotion back to the second tier.[52][53] Back in the 1. Lig for 2023–24, Kocaelispor closed the season in 6th place and qualified for the promotion play-offs, where their campaign ended short of a top-flight return.[54][55]

In the 2024–25 season, Kocaelispor’s long push back to the top tier finally came to fruition. Under head coach İsmet Taşdemir (appointed in late December 2024), the side put together a sustained spring run that kept them clear at the top of the Trendyol 1. Lig. On a weekend late in April, one day before Kocaelispor were due to visit Esenler Erokspor, Fatih Karagümrük’s 1–0 home defeat to Boluspor meant the İzmit club could no longer be caught, mathematically guaranteeing an automatic-promotion place with three matchdays remaining; the club confirmed promotion to the Süper Lig after a 16-year absence.[56][57][58][59][60][61]

Beyond securing promotion early, season metrics published by the TFF showed Kocaelispor among the league’s top sides for goal difference and away points, while home fixtures at Kocaeli Stadium regularly drew five-figure gates during the run-in, underscoring the scale of the club’s return to the elite.[62][63]

Crest and colors

Kocaelispor's crest features a traditional shield shape with vertical black and green stripes, which represent the club's official colors — green and black. Prominently displayed in the center are the intertwined white initials "K" and "S", standing for Kocaelispor, along with the club's founding year 1966 at the bottom.

In the upper left corner of the crest, a blue silhouette represents the Gulf of İzmit (İzmit Körfezi), symbolizing the city's connection to the sea. Adjacent to it is a yellow sun, symbolizing energy and hope. On the right side of the crest, three yellow stars are aligned diagonally, typically symbolizing achievements and aspirations of the club. The green and black color scheme has been consistently used by the club since its founding, with green symbolizing nature and vitality, and black representing determination and strength.

Supporters

Kocaelispor commands one of the most dedicated provincial followings in Turkey. Its core ultra collective, Hodri Meydan, was founded in 1989 as the successor to the “Çılgınlar” and “Eski Tüfekler” crews; the name was borrowed from journalist Uğur Dündar’s TV debate programme while supporters were travelling to a Bartınspor away match, and the group has occupied the Maraton stand ever since. Academic work on the club shows that even when Kocaelispor slid into the amateur divisions identification among local fans remained “high,” making the club a textbook case of civic loyalty over glory-hunting. That loyalty translates into gates most top-flight teams would envy: in the 2024–25 1. Lig season Kocaelispor drew 246 898 ticket-paying spectators at an average of 13 716 per home game, the highest in the division. The fan base extends well beyond İzmit, with sizeable pockets across the wider Marmara and Black Sea regions. Match-day culture revolves around continuous ninety-minute chanting, industrial drums, large-format tifos and the slogan “Burası Hodri Meydan,” all presented in the club’s green and black colours. The group has also shown a capacity for self-policing: after member Serhat Boz was murdered en route to an Altay fixture in March 2017, Hodri Meydan voluntarily withdrew from the terraces for the remainder of the campaign and issued a public apology to the city, citing fatigue with violence. Their fiercest enmity remains the regional clash with Sakaryaspor, known as the Marmara or Gulf Derby, which has produced some of the collective’s most elaborate choreographies and occasional unrest.[64]

Rivalry with Sakaryaspor

Main article: List of association football rivalries

The Marmara Derby—also known as the Gulf Derby or, colloquially, the Green-Black Derby—is the football rivalry between Kocaelispor and Sakaryaspor, two neighbouring clubs from the provinces of Kocaeli and Sakarya. It has been regarded as the most significant fixture for both teams since their first official meeting on 6 January 1974, which ended in a 1–0 victory for Sakaryaspor in Adapazarı. As of 2025, the two clubs have faced each other in 42 competitive matches, with Sakaryaspor leading the series with 17 wins to Kocaelispor’s 15, along with 10 draws. The largest margin of victory belongs to Kocaelispor, who won 6–2 on 8 March 1992. 

What keeps the derby white-hot is less the league table than the combustible mix of geography—barely fifty kilometres separate the Gulf cities—and two ultra cultures, Hodri Meydan and Tatangalar, whose confrontations regularly push the fixture onto Turkey’s high-risk list. Flash-point moments include the 5–1 match of 8 May 2011 when Kocaelispor’s Gökhan Bozkaya deliberately scored an own goal to avoid a 4–1 scoreline that would have echoed Kocaeli’s “41” licence-plate code, the earthquake-relief friendly of 22 February 2023 that still saw flares and scuffles despite both clubs donating gate receipts to AFAD and the Red Crescent, Kocaelispor’s first away win in Sakarya for forty-two years on 10 November 2024, and their 3–1 home victory on 31 March 2025 in front of a full Kocaeli Stadium.

Stadium

Main articles: Kocaeli Stadium and İzmit İsmetpaşa Stadium

For more than four decades Kocaelispor played at the centrally located İzmit İsmetpaşa Stadium, a municipal ground inaugurated in 1974. After periodic safety and seating works its official capacity settled at around 12,700, and the venue hosted the club through its 1. Lig and Süper Lig eras until the mid-2010s, as well as numerous regional and youth fixtures. Demolition of the ageing ground began in 2018 as part of an urban-renewal scheme once the new stadium project was delivered, bringing an end to one of İzmit’s longest-serving sports venues.[65][66][67]

Kocaelispor subsequently relocated to the new Kocaeli Stadium (often referred to as İzmit Stadyumu), a purpose-built, all-seater arena in the Alikahya neighbourhood roughly 7 km from the İzmit city centre. Designed and delivered under the national stadium programme, the facility provides approximately 34,000 seats in a continuous lower–upper bowl with a full roof canopy and modern matchday/operational spaces, and is built to meet UEFA and Süper Lig requirements. The club completed its move during the 2017–18 period as the venue came on stream, with official opening events and early fixtures staged in 2018.[68][69][70]

Access to Kocaeli Stadium is provided by arterial roads linking the D-605 corridor as well as dedicated matchday bus services arranged by the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, with on-site parking and segregated turnstile zones integrated into the footprint.[71]

Statistics

Results of League and Cup Competitions by Season

Season League table Turkish Cup UEFA Top scorer
League Pos P W D L GF GA GD Pts Player Goals
1966–67 1. Lig 7th 30 12 9 9 39 30 9 33 R2 DNQ Ahmet Asena 12
1967–68 7th 38 17 8 13 50 40 10 42 N/A. Ahmet Asena 9
1968–69 7th 34 14 9 11 37 30 7 37 İbrahim Yazıcıoğlu 9
1969–70 10th 30 9 8 13 26 35 −9 26 Cevat Öznalçın 9
1970–71 11th 30 10 7 13 24 28 −4 27 İbrahim Yazıcıoğlu 6
1971–72 9th 30 11 7 12 22 32 −10 29 Zeki Melen 5
1972–73 11th 30 10 7 13 24 23 1 27 Zeki Melen 6
1973–74 9th 30 11 8 11 37 27 10 30 Hayri Kara 7
1974–75 4th 30 12 9 9 27 23 4 33 N/A. N/A.
1975–76 7th 30 12 7 11 32 32 0 31 R3
1976–77 4th 30 12 9 9 35 25 10 33 SF
1977–78 4th 32 13 11 8 37 25 12 37 R2 Raşit Çetiner 16
1978–79 5th 30 13 7 10 41 42 −1 33 SF N/A. N/A.
1979–80 1st↑ 30 20 5 5 53 20 33 45 R3
1980–81 Süper Lig 8th 30 11 8 11 34 32 2 30 R6 Güvenç Kurtar 8
1981–82 10th 32 10 12 10 36 31 5 32 QF Orhan Görsen 8
1982–83 9th 34 10 13 11 34 37 −3 33 R5 Senad Ibrić 8
1983–84 8th 34 11 10 13 35 32 3 32 R5 Mustafa Pakyürekli 6
1984–85 7th 34 11 12 11 30 31 −1 34 R4 Haluk Turfan —
1985–86 14th 36 12 8 16 37 47 −10 32 R4 Senad Ibrić 9
1986–87 16th 36 10 11 15 39 50 −11 31 R6 Orhan Görsen 11
1987–88 18th↓ 38 6 16 16 44 61 −17 34 QF Engelbert Buschmann 15
1988–89 1. Lig 7th 34 15 5 14 40 38 2 50 R4 Senai Kara 8
1989–90 14th 32 9 12 11 33 31 2 39 R1 Sefer Yılmaz 10
1990–91 2nd 34 22 7 5 49 18 31 73 R1 Yaşar Altıntaş 14
1991–92 1st↑ 34 25 8 1 89 24 65 83 SF Saffet Sancaklı 30
1992–93 Süper Lig 4th 30 17 8 5 56 30 26 59 QF Ergun Kula 19
1993–94 6th 30 14 6 10 44 45 −1 48 SF R1 Saffet Sancaklı 24
1994–95 9th 34 12 8 14 57 60 −3 44 QF DNQ Faruk Yiğit 13
1995–96 5th 34 16 11 7 61 43 18 59 R6 Saffet Sancaklı 14
1996–97 7th 34 12 12 10 37 35 2 48 W GS Roman Dąbrowski 11
1997–98 10th 34 12 7 15 46 46 0 43 SF R2 Ahmet Dursun 10
1998–99 5th 34 14 8 12 44 37 7 50 QF DNQ Orhan Kaynak 8
1999–00 12th 34 11 7 16 44 58 −14 40 R4 R3 Roman Dąbrowski 15
2000–01 13th 34 10 11 13 56 60 −4 41 QF R1 Serdar Topraktepe 16
2001–02 11th 34 12 7 15 45 60 −15 43 W DNQ Kwame Ayew 11
2002–03 18th↓ 34 6 4 24 32 66 −34 22 QF R1 Hüseyin Karakayış 8
2003–04 1. Lig 5th 34 16 9 9 54 44 10 57 R2 DNQ Engin Öztonga 16
2004–05 5th 34 17 11 6 49 28 21 62 R2 17
2005–06 9th 34 11 12 11 41 41 0 45 R2 Özgür Karakaya 13
2006–07 11th 34 9 15 10 42 45 −3 42 R1 Mehmet Kahriman 7
2007–08 1st↑ 34 19 7 8 59 37 22 64 R1 Taner Gülleri 21
2008–09 Süper Lig 17th↓ 34 8 5 21 47 73 −26 29 R2 19
2009–10 1. Lig 18th↓ 34 2 8 24 23 66 −43 14 R2 Serdar Topraktepe 8
2010–11 2. Lig 12th 34 10 15 9 39 41 −2 39 R2 Ali Bayraktar 9
2011–12 17th↓ 32 2 3 27 30 130 −100 9 N/A Doğan Karakuş 16
2012–13 3. Lig 14th 34 11 7 16 44 60 −16 37 R3 23
2013–14 17th↓ 34 9 1 24 37 73 −36 28 R2 Melih Ahmet Kaçar 8
2014–15 Amateur 4th 24 13 6 5 35 22 13 45 DNQ Sinan Pektemek 9
2015–16 1st↑ 24 18 3 3 55 19 36 57 13
2016–17 3. Lig 4th 36 16 13 7 55 35 20 61 R1 13
2017–18 13th 34 9 13 12 35 42 −7 40 R3 Burak Süleyman 9
2018–19 2nd 34 17 7 10 40 31 9 58 R3 12
2019–20 1st↑ 27 21 1 5 56 22 34 64 R3 Yakup Alkan 14
2020–21 2. Lig 3rd↑ 36 20 8 8 59 32 27 68 R5 Benhur Keser 13
2021–22 1. Lig 16th↓ 36 12 8 16 40 49 −9 44 R5 9
2022–23 2. Lig 1st↑ 38 25 9 4 73 28 45 84 R2 Samed Kaya 15
2023–24 1. Lig 6th 34 16 7 11 48 41 7 55 R4 Douglas Tanque 10
2024–25 1st↑ 38 21 9 8 68 41 27 72 GS Oğulcan Çağlayan 22
2025–26 Süper Lig TBD

League participations

  • Süper Lig: 1980–88, 1992–2003, 2008–09, 2025–
  • 1. Lig: 1966–1980, 1988–92, 2003–08, 2009–10, 2021–22, 2023–25
  • 2. Lig: 2010–12, 2020–21, 2022–23
  • 3. Lig: 2012–14, 2016–20
  • Amateur League: 2014–16

Honours

Kocaelispor in Europe

Main article: Turkish football clubs in European competitions

Kocaelispor is one of the Turkish clubs that has represented Turkey in European competitions organized by UEFA. The club has played a total of 18 matches in European competitions: 4 matches in the UEFA Cup (now known as the UEFA Europa League), 4 matches in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and 10 matches in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In these matches, Kocaelispor recorded 5 wins, 5 draws, and 8 losses, scoring 15 goals and conceding 23.

Summary

Competition Pld W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 4 2 1 1 4 2 +2
UEFA Cup 4 0 1 3 0 7 –7
UEFA Intertoto Cup 10 3 3 4 11 14 –3
Total 18 5 5 8 15 23 –8

Results

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1993–94 UEFA Cup R1 Portugal Sporting CP 0–0 0–2 0–2
1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup Group 11 Russia Uralmash — 0–2 4th
Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 1–3 —
France Strasbourg — 1–1
Malta Hibernians 5–3 —
1997–98 Cup Winners' Cup R1 Romania Național București 2–0 1–0 3–0
R2 Russia Lokomotiv Moscow 0–0 1–2 1–2
1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup R2 Latvia Ventspils 2–0 1–1 3–1
R3 Germany MSV Duisburg 0–3 0–0 0–3
2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup R1 Lithuania FK Atlantas 0–1 1–0 1–1, 4–5 (p)
2002–03 UEFA Cup R1 Hungary Ferencváros 0–1 0–4 0–5

UEFA Ranking history

Season Rank Points Ref.
1994 168 Increase 0.500 [72]
1995 177 Decrease 0.500 [73]
1996 193 Decrease 0.500 [74]
1997 188 Increase 0.500 [75]
1998 104 Increase 1.750 [76]
1999 142 Decrease 15.175 [77]
2000 127 Increase 16.925 [78]
2001 117 Increase 19.987 [79]
2002 126 Decrease 19.362 [80]
See also: UEFA coefficient
As of 2002

Players

Current squad

As of 19 August 2025[81]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Serbia SRB Aleksandar Jovanović
2 DF Suriname SUR Anfernee Dijksteel
3 DF Turkey TUR Muharrem Cinan
4 DF Poland POL Mateusz Wieteska (on loan from Cagliari)
5 DF Gabon GAB Aaron Appindangoyé
7 FW England ENG Dan Agyei
8 MF Turkey TUR Cihat Çelik
9 FW Croatia CRO Bruno Petković
11 FW Turkey TUR Ahmet Sağat
14 DF Angola ANG Show
15 MF Turkey TUR Tarkan Serbest
17 FW Turkey TUR Oğulcan Çağlayan
18 FW Turkey TUR Furkan Gedik
20 FW Cape Verde CPV Ryan Mendes
21 DF Mali MLI Massadio Haïdara
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Turkey TUR Ahmet Oğuz
23 MF Turkey TUR Samet Yalçın
27 MF Turkey TUR Ege Bilim
35 GK Turkey TUR Gökhan Değirmenci (captain)
41 DF Turkey TUR Onur Öztonga
45 MF Turkey TUR Mesut Can Tunalı
70 MF Austria AUT Can Keleş (on loan from Beşiktaş)
83 GK Turkey TUR Serhat Öztaşdelen
98 MF Belgium BEL Joseph Nonge
99 FW Honduras HON Rigoberto Rivas
— MF Poland POL Karol Linetty
— MF Turkey TUR Ümitcan Ekşi
— GK Turkey TUR Ahmet Hasan Göcen
— FW Nigeria NGA Toheeb Lawal

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Turkey TUR Bedirhan Yıldız (at Efeler 09 SFK until 30 June 2026)

Notable former players

The following players are among those who represented Kocaelispor in national and international competitions and have gained recognition:

Non-playing staff

Administrative Staff

Position Name
Chairman Turkey Recep Durul
Vice-President Turkey Veli Başkurt
Vice-President Turkey Ahmet Arık
Finance VP Turkey Gürhan Darcan
Media & R&D Turkey Fazile Ayşe Özkurt
Tech & Football Turkey Osman Çakır
Clubs Coord. Turkey Ramazan Daş
Investment Turkey Kadir Genç
Investment & Ads Turkey Serkan Akpolat
Ads VP Turkey Engin Arat
Legal VP Turkey Ahmet Şahin
Legal & R&D VP Turkey Kamil Sert
Tickets & Stadium Turkey Serkan Bulut
Fans VP Turkey Mert Kavşut
TFF Relations VP Turkey Orhan Dönmez
Football VP Turkey Zeynel Abidin Akyol
Football VP Turkey Serkan Bozbağ
Youth VP Turkey Rafet Kırgız
Sports Branches Turkey Okan Yıldırım

Source: [82]

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Turkey Selçuk İnan
Assistant coach Turkey Sabahattin Yenilmez
Turkey Volkan Kazak
Turkey Olcan Adın
Goalkeeper coach Turkey Hakan Bulut
Athletic coach Turkey Ramazan Varli
Performance analyst Turkey Emre Oğuz
Scout Turkey Osman Yusuf Cömert
Club doctor Turkey Gürbay Kahveci
Media officer Turkey Fevzi Faruk Çetin
Youth development Turkey Aydın Günaydın
Interpreter Turkey Selim Kayalı

Source: [83]

Coach History

Kocaelispor have been led by a mix of local and foreign coaches, with landmark spells under Holger Osieck and Hikmet Karaman. In the mid-1990s Mustafa Denizli stabilised the side and delivered a top-five league finish in 1995–96, setting up the strongest period in club history.[84][85] Under Güvenç Kurtar the club also featured regularly in continental competition, including the 1996 Intertoto campaign and subsequent European ties recorded by the club’s archive.[86]

German coach Holger Osieck arrived midway through 1996–97 and led Kocaelispor to the club’s first Turkish Cup. The two-leg final against Trabzonspor finished 1–1 in Trabzon and 1–0 in İzmit, with the return leg decided by a late goal at İsmetpaşa Stadium.[87][88] Osieck’s role is widely marked in local coverage and anniversary events organised in İzmit.[89][90] The cup win took Kocaelispor into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the following season; contemporary summaries note ties against Naţional Bucureşti and Lokomotiv Moskova.[91]

Hikmet Karaman—initially an assistant in İzmit—returned as head coach in 2000 and guided Kocaelispor to a second Turkish Cup in 2001–02, defeating Beşiktaş 4–0 in the final at Bursa Atatürk Stadium.[92][93][94] That success carried the club into the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, where they were eliminated by Ferencváros over two legs (0–5 agg.).[95][96]

In addition to those title-winning tenures, other notable coaching spells include Denizli’s 1994–96 run (culminating in a top-five finish) and multiple appointments for Güvenç Kurtar, who took the team into European competition in the late 1990s and early 2000s.[97][98]

President history

Over the course of the club’s history, Kocaelispor have been led by a long line of locally known administrators, beginning in the mid-1960s with figures such as İsmail Kolaylı, Baki Efe and İbrahim Küçükörs, and then by longer stints under Erol Köse (1972–78) and İsmail Kalkandelen in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. The presidency of Sefa Sirmen (1991–2002) is widely regarded as the club’s most successful modern era: during his tenure Kocaelispor consolidated their place in the top flight, built competitive squads and captured two Turkish Cups (1996–97 and 2001–02), the only major national trophies in the club’s cabinet.

The 2000s brought shorter administrations and financial headwinds, with a rapid succession of presidents (including Hikmet Erenkaya, İbrahim Saral, Cemal Derya and Serhan Gürkan) as the club navigated relegations and restructuring. From 2014 to 2019, Bahri Yavuz presided over a community-driven rebuild, followed by a period of stabilization and renewed professionalization under Hüseyin Üzülmez (2019–20) and Engin Koyun (2020–24), coinciding with the club’s steady climb back up the league pyramid and the settling of operations at the new Kocaeli Stadium. In March 2024, Recep Durul took office, with a mandate to maintain financial discipline, strengthen the academy-to-first-team pathway and keep the club competitive as it seeks sustainable success.

Preferences

  1. ^ "Kocaelispor'un kuruluş hikâyesi". Kocaelispor Kulübü Resmî Sitesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  2. ^ "İzmit'te spor sahaları ve kulüp birleşmesi". Milliyet Arşiv (in Turkish). 12 May 1957. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  3. ^ "TFF talimatları (1960'lar) – 2. Lig'e kabul şartları". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Kocaelispor'un kurucu kulüpleri: Baçspor, İzmit Gençlik, Doğanspor". İzmit Belediyesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Üç kulüp birleşti: Kocaelispor doğdu". Cumhuriyet Arşivi (in Turkish). 24 April 1966. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Kocaelispor bütçesini oluşturuyor". Milliyet Arşiv (in Turkish). 15 May 1966. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  7. ^ "2. Lig 1966–67 – takımlar ve puan durumu". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Kocaelispor – sezon sezon lig geçmişi". TFF (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Danıştay'dan lige düşme kararlarına fren". Hürriyet Arşiv (in Turkish). 5 August 1987. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  10. ^ "1. Lig'de kalanlar ve düşenler – Danıştay kararı sonrası tablo". Cumhuriyet Arşivi (in Turkish). 10 August 1987. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Kocaelispor 7–2 Kayserispor (1992–93, match report & line-ups)". Mackolik (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  12. ^ "1. Lig 1992–1993 – Final table & statistics". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (TFF) (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Kocaelispor – European seasons (UEFA Cup 1993/94)". UEFA.com. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Fahrudin Omerović – career profile and match log". Mackolik (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Stevica Kuzmanovski – Player Record (Turkey)". TFF (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Mirko Mirković (Mert Meriç) – Player Record". TFF (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  17. ^ Gür, Ercan (15 December 1992). "Kocaeli fırtınası: Kurtar'ın 4-4-2'siyle zirveye yürüyüş". Milliyet Arşiv (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Saffet Sancaklı – kariyer dosyası". Hürriyet Arşiv (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Kocaelispor rekor peşinde". Cumhuriyet Arşivi (in Turkish). 21 March 1993. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Kocaeli Avrupa'da: 1992–93'un armağanı". Cumhuriyet Arşivi (in Turkish). 31 May 1993. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  21. ^ "UEFA Cup 1993/94 – Kocaelispor matches & squads". UEFA.com. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  22. ^ "Intertoto Cup – Turkish participants and results (1990s)". Krampon (archival feature) (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  23. ^ "İntertoto'da Kocaelispor yazı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 10 July 1996. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Güvenç Kurtar'la Kocaelispor kupaya yürüyor". Milliyet (in Turkish). 15 April 1997. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Türkiye Kupası 1996–97 – final eşleşmesi ve sonuçlar". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  26. ^ "Kupa İzmit'e: Kocaelispor tarih yazdı". Sabah (in Turkish). 14 May 1997. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  27. ^ "İzmit'in büyük gecesi". Cumhuriyet (in Turkish). 15 May 1997. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  28. ^ "2001–02 Türkiye Kupası – final maçı özet ve rapor". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  29. ^ "Kocaelispor'dan tarihi final: Beşiktaş'a dört gol". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). 26 April 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  30. ^ "Kupa coşkusu İzmit'i sabaha bağladı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 27 April 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  31. ^ "UEFA competitions access list (1997–2003): Turkey allocations". UEFA.com. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  32. ^ "Kocaelispor kulüp tarihi – kupalar ve dönüm noktaları". Kocaelispor Kulübü Resmî Sitesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  33. ^ "2007–08 Bank Asya 1. Lig – standings and champions". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  34. ^ "Kocaelispor şampiyon oldu, Süper Lig'e döndü". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 10 May 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  35. ^ "2008–09 Süper Lig – final table". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  36. ^ "2010–11 TFF 1. Lig & 2011–12 TFF 2. Lig – küme düşen takımlar". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  37. ^ "Kocaelispor Bölgesel Amatör Lig'e düştü". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). 6 April 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  38. ^ "İstanbulspor bitirdi: Kocaelispor amatöre". Milliyet (in Turkish). 6 April 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  39. ^ "BAL 2014–15 – 11. Grup puan durumu". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  40. ^ "Kocaelispor, Sultangazispor'u 2–0 yenerek 3. Lig'e yükseldi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 24 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  41. ^ "Kocaelispor taraftarı Eskişehir'i doldurdu, zafer 2–0". DHA (in Turkish). 24 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  42. ^ "2015–16 BAL play-off karşılaşmaları ve sonuçlar". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  43. ^ "2016–17 3. Lig – standings & play-off line". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  44. ^ "2017–18 3. Lig – standings". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  45. ^ "2018–19 3. Lig – season tables & play-offs". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  46. ^ "TFF Yönetim Kurulu kararları – 2019–20 sezonu tescili". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  47. ^ "Kocaelispor 2. Lig'de". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  48. ^ "Kocaelispor, Sakaryaspor'u 4–0 yenerek 1. Lig'e yükseldi". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). 28 May 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  49. ^ "2020–21 TFF 2. Lig – Kırmızı Grup & play-offs". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  50. ^ "2021–22 Spor Toto 1. Lig – final table". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  51. ^ "Kocaelispor'un 1. Lig macerası bir sezonda bitti". NTV Spor (in Turkish). 2 May 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  52. ^ "Kocaelispor, TFF 2. Lig'de şampiyon oldu". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). 29 April 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  53. ^ "2022–23 TFF 2. Lig – standings". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  54. ^ "2023–24 Trendyol 1. Lig – final table & play-off bracket". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  55. ^ "Kocaelispor'un Süper Lig hayali play-off'ta bitti". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 24 May 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  56. ^ "Trendyol 1. Lig – 2024–25 season table (matchweek and promotion confirmation)". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  57. ^ "Kocaelispor Süper Lig'e yükseldi". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). April 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  58. ^ "Karagümrük'ün Boluspor'a 0–1 yenilgisiyle Kocaelispor'un Süper Lig yolu açıldı". NTV Spor (in Turkish). April 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  59. ^ "Amatörden Süper Lig'e: Kocaelispor destanı". TRT Spor. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  60. ^ "Kocaelispor 16 yıl sonra Süper Lig'de". Anadolu Ajansı. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  61. ^ "Kocaelispor 16 yıl sonra Süper Lig'de". NTV. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  62. ^ "Kocaelispor 16 yıl sonra Trendyol Süper Lig'de". beIN Sports Türkiye. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  63. ^ "Trendyol 1. Lig – takım istatistikleri (averages, goal difference, iç/dış saha puanları)". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  64. ^ Başkan Serhan Gürkan'dan, muhalefete 'Hodri meydan Archived 24 July 2012 at archive.today (in Turkish)
  65. ^ "İsmetpaşa Stadı'na veda". Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi (in Turkish). 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  66. ^ "İsmetpaşa Stadı yıkılıyor". Sözcü (in Turkish). 10 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  67. ^ "İsmetpaşa Stadı tarihe karışıyor". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 15 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  68. ^ "Kocaeli Stadyumu". StadiumDB. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  69. ^ "Kocaeli Stadyumu (Proje bilgisi)". TOKİ – Toplu Konut İdaresi Başkanlığı (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  70. ^ "Kocaelispor yeni stadyumuna taşındı". Kocaeli Gazetesi (in Turkish). 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  71. ^ "Kocaeli Stadyumu'na ulaşım düzenlemesi". Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi (in Turkish). 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  72. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1994". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  73. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1995". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  74. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1996". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  75. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1997". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  76. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1998". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  77. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 1999". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  78. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 2000". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  79. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 2001". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  80. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 2002". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  81. ^ "Kocaelispor squad". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  82. ^ "Yönetim Kurulu". kocaelispor.com.tr. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  83. ^ "A Takım Teknik Kadro". kocaelispor.com.tr. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  84. ^ "En son onlar başarmıştı! Tam 25 yıl önce". Spor41 (in Turkish). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  85. ^ "Mustafa Denizli, Süper Lig'de 200. galibiyet peşinde (kariyer dökümü)". TRT Spor (in Turkish). 20 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  86. ^ "Avrupa'da Biz". Kocaelispor Resmî Site (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  87. ^ "TamSaha 188 – Türkiye Kupası tarihçesi (final sonuçları tablosu)" (PDF). TFF TamSaha (in Turkish). July 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  88. ^ "Kocaelispor–Trabzonspor, 16.04.1997 (maç raporu)". Mackolik (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  89. ^ "Kocaelispor'da tarih yazmışlardı, çeyrek asır sonra buluştular". Kocaeli Gazetesi (in Turkish). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  90. ^ "Holger Osieck İzmit'e geliyoooor!". Spor41 (in Turkish). 31 March 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  91. ^ "Kocaelispor'da tarih yazmışlardı, çeyrek asır sonra buluştular". Kocaeli Gazetesi (in Turkish). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  92. ^ "ZTK final tarihçesi: Kocaelispor 4–0 Beşiktaş (2002)" (PDF). TFF TamSaha (in Turkish). May 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  93. ^ "Futbolda 61. Türkiye Kupası sahibini buluyor (tarihçe notları)". Anadolu Ajansı (in Turkish). 10 June 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  94. ^ "Kocaelispor–Beşiktaş, 03.04.2002 (maç detayı)". Mackolik (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  95. ^ "Tököli helps topple Kocaelispor". UEFA.com. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  96. ^ "Ferencváros ease through". UEFA.com. 3 October 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  97. ^ "En son onlar başarmıştı! Tam 25 yıl önce". Spor41 (in Turkish). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  98. ^ "Avrupa'da Biz". Kocaelispor Resmî Site (in Turkish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kocaelispor.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.