Göztepe Spor Kulübü (, Göztepe Sports Club), commonly referred to as Göztepe, is a Turkish multi-sport club based in the Göztepe and Güzelyalñ neighborhoods of ðzmir. Founded on 14 June 1925 as Göztepe Gençlik Kulübü (Göztepe Youth Club), it is one of the oldest sports institutions in Turkey with a rich history spanning over a century.
Originally formed as a neighborhood club, Göztepe became nationally prominent in the mid-20th century, particularly after becoming Turkish champions in 1950. In 1969, the club made history by becoming the first Turkish team to reach the semi-finals of a European competition, achieving this milestone in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (a predecessor to the UEFA Europa League).
Besides football, the club operates as a joint-stock company (AÃ Â) and includes multiple branches in fencing, triathlon, handball, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, archery, billiards, sailing, swimming, and windsurfing, making it one of the most comprehensive sports institutions in the country.
Despite facing relegation and financial hardship between 2002 and 2008, Göztepe maintained one of the most loyal fan bases in Turkey. Even during their time in the Turkish Regional Amateur League, the club continued to attract higher average attendances than many top-flight clubs. Their resilience and support culminated in a return to the Süper Lig, where they continue to compete under the ownership of Sport Republic and the leadership of Rasmus Ankersen.
As of the 2024âÂÂ25 season, Göztepe competes in the Süper Lig, and currently ranks 8th out of 19 teams in the league table. In the "all-time table" of Turkish football, Göztepe holds the 13th place overall based on historic performance and points.
Göztepe was founded on 14 June 1925 in the Göztepe, Güzelyalñ quarter of Konak, ðzmir, following a split from Altay; at the inaugural meeting the club adopted red and yellow as its colours and set a striped shirt as the first football kit.
Contemporary accounts describe these short-lived ðzmir "mergers" as a policy pushed by the provincial governor to field stronger representatives in the new national competition (Milli Küme): alongside DoÃÂanspor (GöztepeâÂÂðzmirsporâÂÂEgespor), AltayâÂÂAltñnorduâÂÂYüce combined as ÃÂçok and Karà ÂñyakaâÂÂBornova as Yamanlar. DoÃÂanspor competed in the ðzmir League and the Milli Küme in 1937âÂÂ39 (contemporary match reports list the club under that name), while Ateà Âspor formed by ðzmirspor members opposed to the merger played the same competitions before ðzmirspor reverted to its historic name. According to the club's official history, DoÃÂanspor won the local league in 1938âÂÂ39 and, following a members' congress on 12 September 1940, the football branch formally restored the Göztepe name.
Göztepe's early national honours came in the pre-league era: they won the Turkish Football Championship in 1950 (Final Group hosted in ðzmir) and finished runners-up in 1942. The club's "golden era" under coach Adnan Süvari (mid-1960s to 1971) produced back-to-back Turkish Cup wins in 1968âÂÂ69 and 1969âÂÂ70 and the Turkish Super Cup in 1970. In Europe, Süvari's Göztepe became the first Turkish side to reach a European semi-final: the 1968âÂÂ69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, advancing past Marseille, ArgeàPiteÃÂti and OFK Beograd before losing to ÃÂjpest in the last four. The following season they reached the 1969âÂÂ70 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals (eliminating Union Luxembourg and Cardiff City) and went out to Roma (0âÂÂ2, 0âÂÂ0).
Starting with 2002âÂÂ03 season which brought relegation from Süper Lig, Göztepe struggled with financial problems. 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. On 21 April 2007 they lost their last home game 2âÂÂ0 against in TFF Third League and were relegated to the Regional Amateur League.
On 20 August 2007, the club was sold in an auction to the Istanbul-based business conglomerate . The owner, businessman ðmam Altñnbaà Â, vowed to take Göztepe back to the Süper Lig, making them one of the top five clubs in Turkish football. The owners of the club were met by the local fan base with initial suspicion. Altñnbaà  Holdings sold the club to Mehmet Sepil in June 2014, for a sum rumored to be around $9 million.
The team competed in the Regional Amateur League for the 2007âÂÂ08 season but were eliminated by after a 6âÂÂ5 penalty kick shootout in Eskià Âehir. Following relegation to the Regional Amateur League, Göztepe re-entered the professional pyramid at the start of 2008âÂÂ09 by acquiring AliaÃÂa Belediyespor's competition/naming rights. On 18 June 2008 the Turkish Football Federation approved AliaÃÂa Belediyespor's request to change its name, colours and crest to Göztepe, allowing the club to take AliaÃÂa's place in the TFF Third League; contemporary reports and officials described this as a transfer of competition rights rather than a full merger.
Göztepe returned to the professional leagues in 2008âÂÂ09 and won the TFF Third League overall title, defeating Tepecik Belediyespor 2âÂÂ0 to seal promotion to the TFF Second League. After finishing eighth in the Second League in 2009âÂÂ10, the club won the White Group in 2010âÂÂ11 and were promoted to the TFF First League.
Göztepe again won promotion from the Second League in 2014âÂÂ15, clinching the Red Group and receiving the championship trophy before the final matchday. On 4 June 2017, they returned to the Süper Lig for the first time since 2002âÂÂ03 by defeating Eskià Âehirspor on penalties in the First League play-off final in Antalya (1âÂÂ1 a.e.t., 4âÂÂ3 pens). The club were relegated from the Süper Lig at the end of the 2021âÂÂ22 season, along with Altay and Yeni Malatyaspor.
In August 2022 London-based investment firm Sport Republic purchased a 70% controlling stake and named co-founder Rasmus Ankersen as club chairman. In the first full season under the new ownership (2022âÂÂ23), the team finished 7th in the TFF First League with 60 points.
On 21 November 2023, Bulgarian coach Stanimir Stoilov was appointed head coach on a 2.5-year deal. Under Stoilov, Göztepe secured automatic promotion in 2023âÂÂ24 by beating GençlerbirliÃÂi 2âÂÂ0 at Gürsel Aksel Stadium on 28 April 2024, returning to the Süper Lig after two seasons. The club subsequently extended Stoilov's contract through the end of the 2026âÂÂ27 season.
Göztepe's principal rivalry is with fellow ðzmir side Karà Âñyaka, a derby commonly known as the ðzmir derby. The clubs are rooted on opposite shores of the gulf Göztepe in the Göztepe quarter of Konak, and Karà Âñyaka in the Karà Âñyaka district which underpins the local intensity of the fixture.
The best-known meeting was on 16 May 1981 at ðzmir Atatürk Stadium in the Turkish second tier the match ended Karà Âñyaka 0âÂÂ0 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 a Guinness-recognised record for a second-division game and The Guardian published an article named "The biggest non-top-flight attendance ever" including this match. The derby has been marked by fervent atmospheres and, at times, security concerns reported in the Turkish press.
Beyond Karà Âñyaka, Göztepe also play fiercely contested ðzmir derbies with Altay, Altñnordu, Bucaspor and ðzmirspor. The Altay 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. The fixture has produced flashpoints, notably on 27 November 2022 when the AltayâÂÂGöztepe match in ðzmir was abandoned after a pitch invader attacked Altay goalkeeper Ozan Evrim ÃÂzenç with a corner flag the TFF condemned the incident and media detailed subsequent arrests and how fireworks reached the stands. Altñnordu are another major city rival, regularly facing Göztepe in league competition. The same applies to Bucaspor and its successor Bucaspor 1928, with whom Göztepe have had numerous derby clashes across league and cup. ðzmirspor, 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.
For much of the club's history, Göztepe played at the old Alsancak Stadium in Konak; the team were still hosting fixtures there in 2010, before shifting home games to ðzmir Atatürk Stadium from 2011 to 2016.
From October 2016, Göztepe temporarily played home matches at the Bornova Aziz KocaoÃÂlu Stadium in ðzmir while their new venue was built. The club's new ground, the Gürsel Aksel Stadium, opened on 26 January 2020 with a Süper Lig match against Beà Âiktaà Â. The Gürsel Aksel complex was developed by TOKð and Rönesans and includes club-oriented amenities such as a Göztepe museum and retail/food areas. A distinctive 650-metre walking track on the roof is open to the public on non-match days. The stadium has also hosted major domestic finals, including the 2021 Turkish Cup final and the 2023 Turkish Cup final.
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.
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. The same guide specifies red and yellow as the primary identity colours, with black, grey and white as approved auxiliary tones for applications.
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. The club has worn Umbro kits since 2021, following earlier deals with Puma (2019âÂÂ2021), Lotto (2016âÂÂ2019) and Kappa (2014âÂÂ2016). The club has also released occasional retro-themed shirts celebrating anniversaries and historic designs.
Göztepe are operated by the joint-stock company Göztepe Sportif Yatñrñmlar A.à Â. (registered at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium address in Konak, ðzmir). After the club's financial collapse in the mid-2000s, the Turkish Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) auctioned the team in August 2007; Altñnbaà  Holding won the tender and ran the club through 2014. In June 2014 Altñnbaà  sold all shares to businessman Mehmet Sepil.
On 19 August 2022, London-based sports investment firm Sport 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-founder Rasmus Ankersen as club president/chairman. Sport Republic also holds a controlling stake in Southampton, indicating a multi-club ownership model.
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.
Göztepe competed in Europe seven times between 1964âÂÂ65 and 1970âÂÂ71: five editions of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and two of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, for a total of 30 official European matches (10 wins, 2 draws, 18 losses; goals 36âÂÂ49). The club's best run came in the 1968âÂÂ69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, when Göztepe became the first Turkish team to reach a European semi-final, eliminating Marseille, ArgeàPiteÃÂti and OFK Beograd before falling to ÃÂjpest in the last four.
Back-to-back Turkish Cup wins took the club to the 1969âÂÂ70 Cup Winners' Cup, where Göztepe knocked out Union Luxembourg and Cardiff City to reach the quarter-finals, losing to Roma (0âÂÂ2 agg.; 0âÂÂ2 in Rome, 0âÂÂ0 in ðzmir). In the 1970âÂÂ71 Cup Winners' Cup they again beat Union Luxembourg in the first round before going out to Górnik Zabrze in the last 16 (0âÂÂ4 agg.; 0âÂÂ1 ðzmir, 0âÂÂ3 Zabrze). Göztepe's biggest European win was 5âÂÂ0 against Union Luxembourg in ðzmir (1970âÂÂ71 Cup Winners' Cup), while their heaviest defeat was 9âÂÂ1 away to 1860 München in the 1965âÂÂ66 Fairs Cup.
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. The club's most iconic manager was Adnan Süvari, who led Göztepe to the semi-finals of the 1968âÂÂ69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the quarter-finals of the 1969âÂÂ70 Cup Winners' Cup historic firsts for a Turkish side. Göztepe has employed a mix of domestic and international managers, including Oscar Hold (England), András Kuttik (Hungary), Ilie Datcu (Romania), and Stanimir Stoilov (Bulgaria).
Göztepe's presidential history reflects the club's long-standing connection with ðzmir's local figures and business community. The club was led for decades by the Filibeli family, with Fehmi SimsaroÃÂlu and later à Âevket 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. In 2022, Danish executive Rasmus Ankersen, co-founder of Sport Republic, assumed control as part of a broader strategic investment, marking the club's first foreign presidency.
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:
Göztepe's dedication to multiple sports exemplifies its mission to build a sporting culture beyond football, nurturing athletic excellence and community involvement in ðzmir and beyond.