Göztepe Spor Kulübü (Turkish pronunciation:[ɟœztepespoɾkulyby], Göztepe Sports Club), commonly referred to as Göztepe, is a Turkish multi-sport club based in theGöztepe andGüzelyalı neighborhoods ofİzmir. Founded on 14 June 1925 asGöztepe Gençlik Kulübü, it is one of the oldest sports institutions inTurkey with a rich history spanning over a century.[3]
Originally formed as a neighborhood club, Göztepe became nationally prominent in the mid-20th century, particularly after becoming Turkish champions in 1950.[4] In 1969, the club made history by becoming the firstTurkish team to reach the semi-finals of aEuropean competition, achieving this milestone in theInter-Cities Fairs Cup (a predecessor to theUEFA Europa League).[5]
Despite facing relegation and financial hardship between 2002 and 2008, Göztepe maintained one of the most loyal fan bases inTurkey. Even during their time in theTurkish Regional Amateur League, the club continued to attract higher average attendances than many top-flight clubs.[7] Their resilience and support culminated in a return to theSüper Lig, where they continue to compete under the ownership ofSport Republic and the leadership ofRasmus Ankersen.
As of the2024–25 season, Göztepe competes in theSüper Lig, and currently ranks 8th out of 19 teams in the league table. In the"all-time table" ofTurkish football, Göztepe holds the 13th place overall based on historic performance and points.
Göztepe was founded on 14 June 1925 in theGöztepe,Güzelyalı quarter ofKonak,İzmir, following a split fromAltay; at the inaugural meeting the club adopted red and yellow as its colours and set a striped shirt as the first football kit.[8][9]
Contemporary accounts describe these short-livedİzmir "mergers" as a policy pushed by the provincial governor to field stronger representatives in the new national competition (Milli Küme): alongsideDoğanspor (Göztepe–İzmirspor–Egespor),Altay–Altınordu–Yüce combined as Üçok and Karşıyaka–Bornova asYamanlar.[10][11] Doğanspor competed in the İzmir League and the Milli Küme in 1937–39 (contemporary match reports list the club under that name), whileAteşspor formed byİzmirspor members opposed to the merger played the same competitions beforeİzmirspor reverted to its historic name.[12][13][14] According to the club's official history, Doğanspor won the local league in 1938–39 and, following a members' congress on 12 September 1940, the football branch formally restored theGöztepe name.[15]
Starting with2002–03 season which brought relegation fromSüper Lig, Göztepe struggled with financial problems.[25] Due to the inability to reduce their outstanding debt, the football club was banned from signing new players, which resulted in a free-fall with the team being relegated four times in the next five seasons.[26] On 21 April 2007 they lost their last home game 2–0 againstAliağa Belediyespor inTFF Third League and were relegated to theRegional Amateur League.[26]
On 20 August 2007, the club was sold in an auction to theIstanbul-based business conglomerateAltınbaş Holdings.[27] The owner, businessman İmam Altınbaş, vowed to take Göztepe back to theSüper Lig, making them one of the top five clubs inTurkish football. The owners of the club were met by the local fan base with initial suspicion. Altınbaş Holdings sold the club to Mehmet Sepil in June 2014, for a sum rumored to be around $9 million.[28]
The team competed in theRegional Amateur League for the 2007–08 season but were eliminated byAyazağaspor after a 6–5penalty kick shootout inEskişehir. Following relegation to theRegional Amateur League, Göztepe re-entered the professional pyramid at the start of 2008–09 by acquiringAliağa Belediyespor's competition/naming rights. On 18 June 2008 theTurkish Football Federation approved Aliağa Belediyespor's request to change its name, colours and crest to Göztepe, allowing the club to take Aliağa's place in theTFF Third League; contemporary reports and officials described this as a transfer of competition rights rather than a full merger.[29][30][31]
Göztepe returned to the professional leagues in 2008–09 and won theTFF Third League overall title, defeating Tepecik Belediyespor 2–0 to seal promotion to theTFF Second League.[32][33] After finishing eighth in theSecond League in 2009–10, the club won theWhite Group in 2010–11 and were promoted to theTFF First League.
Göztepe again won promotion from theSecond League in 2014–15, clinching theRed Group and receiving the championship trophy before the final matchday.[34][35] On 4 June 2017, they returned to theSüper Lig for the first time since 2002–03 by defeating Eskişehirspor on penalties in theFirst League play-off final in Antalya (1–1 a.e.t.,4–3 pens).[36][37] The club were relegated from theSüper Lig at the end of the2021–22 season, along withAltay andYeni Malatyaspor.[38]
In August 2022London-based investment firmSport Republic purchased a 70% controlling stake and named co-founderRasmus Ankersen as club chairman.[39] In the first full season under the new ownership (2022–23), the team finished 7th in theTFF First League with 60 points.[40]
On 21 November 2023, Bulgarian coachStanimir Stoilov was appointed head coach on a 2.5-year deal.[41] Under Stoilov, Göztepe secured automatic promotion in 2023–24 by beatingGençlerbirliği 2–0 atGürsel Aksel Stadium on 28 April 2024, returning to theSüper Lig after two seasons.[42] The club subsequently extended Stoilov's contract through the end of the 2026–27 season.[43]
Göztepe's principal rivalry is with fellowİzmir sideKarşıyaka, a derby commonly known as theİzmir derby. The clubs are rooted on opposite shores of the gulf Göztepe in theGöztepe quarter ofKonak, andKarşıyaka in theKarşıyaka district which underpins the local intensity of the fixture.[44][45]
The best-known meeting was on 16 May 1981 atİzmir Atatürk Stadium in theTurkish second tier the match endedKarşıyaka 0–0 Göztepe. Contemporary lists record an official paid attendance of 67,696, while many reports describe a crowd of around 80,000 and frequently cite it as aGuinness-recognised record for a second-division game andThe Guardian published an article named "The biggest non-top-flight attendance ever" including this match.[46][47][48][49] The derby has been marked by fervent atmospheres and, at times, security concerns reported in the Turkish press.[48]
BeyondKarşıyaka, Göztepe also play fiercely contested İzmir derbies withAltay,Altınordu,Bucaspor andİzmirspor. TheAltay rivalry is rooted in the club's origin Göztepe's 1925 foundation followed disputes within Altay and the departure of several Altay players to the new club.[50] The fixture has produced flashpoints, notably on 27 November 2022 when the Altay–Göztepe match in İzmir was abandoned after a pitch invader attacked Altay goalkeeperOzan Evrim Özenç with a corner flag theTFF condemned the incident and media detailed subsequent arrests and how fireworks reached the stands.[51][52][53]Altınordu are another major city rival, regularly facing Göztepe in league competition. The same applies toBucaspor and its successorBucaspor 1928, with whom Göztepe have had numerous derby clashes across league and cup. İzmirspor, although now competing in lower divisions, were historically part of the city's core football rivalry structure, especially during the early and mid-20th century.[54]
For much of the club's history, Göztepe played at the oldAlsancak Stadium inKonak; the team were still hosting fixtures there in 2010, before shifting home games toİzmir Atatürk Stadium from 2011 to 2016.[55][56][57]
Göztepe's traditional colours are red and yellow, adopted at the club's foundation in 1925; the inaugural general meeting also set a striped shirt as the first kit design.[65]
The current crest is a red-and-yellow shield surmounted by a scroll bearing "Göztepe" and the foundation year "1925". Inside the shield, a vintage laced football sits alongside a distinctive chequered panel; according to the club's corporate guidelines, the chequers represent Göztepe's amateur sports branches.[66][67] The same guide specifies red and yellow as the primary identity colours, with black, grey and white as approved auxiliary tones for applications.[68]
Göztepe kits have generally combined the club colours in striped, halved, quartered or chequered layouts; recent home shirts have prominently used a chequered motif that echoes the crest.[69] The club has worn Umbro kits since 2021, following earlier deals with Puma (2019–2021), Lotto (2016–2019) and Kappa (2014–2016).[70][71] The club has also released occasional retro-themed shirts celebrating anniversaries and historic designs.[72]
Göztepe are operated by the joint-stock companyGöztepe Sportif Yatırımlar A.Ş. (registered at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium address in Konak, İzmir).[74] After the club's financial collapse in the mid-2000s, the Turkish Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) auctioned the team in August 2007; Altınbaş Holding won the tender and ran the club through 2014.[75][76] In June 2014 Altınbaş sold all shares to businessman Mehmet Sepil.[75]
On 19 August 2022, London-based sports investment firmSport Republic reached a deal to acquire a 70% controlling stake in Göztepe, with the existing shareholders (including Sepil) retaining 30%. The transaction marked the first foreign majority investment in a Turkish professional club;Sport Republic appointed co-founderRasmus Ankersen as club president/chairman.[77][78][79]Sport Republic also holds a controlling stake inSouthampton, indicating a multi-club ownership model.[80]
In addition to matchday and commercial income, the club has experimented with digital fan engagement revenues. In 2021 Göztepe launched the GOZ fan token in partnership with Chiliz/Socios.com, later migrated to the Chiliz Chain with other tokens in 2023.[81][82]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Göztepe has seen a varied managerial history since its founding in 1925. The first officially recorded coach was Ruhi Karaduman, active in the late 1950s.[98] The club's most iconic manager wasAdnan Süvari, who led Göztepe to the semi-finals of the1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the quarter-finals of the1969–70 Cup Winners' Cup historic firsts for a Turkish side.[99] Göztepe has employed a mix of domestic and international managers, includingOscar Hold (England),András Kuttik (Hungary),Ilie Datcu (Romania), andStanimir Stoilov (Bulgaria).
Göztepe's presidential history reflects the club's long-standing connection with İzmir's local figures and business community. The club was led for decades by the Filibeli family, with Fehmi Simsaroğlu and later Şevket Filibeli serving during the formative years. In the modern era, Mehmet Sepil played a pivotal role in the club's resurgence, overseeing the club's return to the Süper Lig and laying the groundwork for professionalization and international partnerships.[100] In 2022, Danish executiveRasmus Ankersen, co-founder of Sport Republic, assumed control as part of a broader strategic investment, marking the club's first foreign presidency.[101]
In addition to football, Göztepe operates as a multi-sport club with several active departments, continuing the Turkish tradition of comprehensive sports institutions. The club promotes participation and excellence across a wide variety of athletic disciplines:
Volleyball – Göztepe has a long-standing presence in men's and women's volleyball, competing at regional and national levels. Their youth teams are known for producing local talent.[102]
Handball – The handball branch includes men's and women's teams, participating in amateur leagues and youth tournaments organized by the Turkish Handball Federation.[103]
Basketball – The club periodically competes in lower divisions of Turkish basketball and maintains basketball training programs for youth and schools in İzmir.[104]
Sailing – Located near the İzmir Gulf, Göztepe also has a strong tradition in sailing. The sailing branch trains young athletes and regularly participates in local regattas.[105]
Swimming & Windsurfing – Capitalizing on İzmir's coastal geography, Göztepe maintains competitive swimming and windsurfing teams, which have earned accolades in junior and amateur national events.[106]
Fencing, Archery, Gymnastics, and Triathlon – The club supports developmental programs in niche Olympic sports such as fencing, archery, gymnastics, and triathlon. These branches focus heavily on youth development and sports education.[107]
Göztepe's dedication to multiple sports exemplifies its mission to build a sporting culture beyond football, nurturing athletic excellence and community involvement in İzmir and beyond.
^"Efeler Devrildi" [The "Efe"s [Altay SK] Were Toppled].Milliyet (in Turkish). 1 June 2006. p. 30.Kocaelispor ve Göztepe'nin ardından küme düşen üçüncü takım Altay oldu.İzmir temsilcisi İstanbulspor deplasmanından 1 puanla dönünce.Süper Lig'e veda etti.
^"Historical: Alsancak Stadyumu (until 2014)".StadiumDB. Retrieved26 July 2025....it has also served many other football teams over the years, with İzmirspor, Göztepe SK and Karşıyaka SK among others playing there.
^"Atatürk stadyumu reklam alanları".Göztepe SK (official) (in Turkish). 6 September 2011. Retrieved26 July 2025....Göztepe Spor Kulübü'nün tüm iç saha maçlarını oynayacağı Atatürk Stadyumu...