---
title: Kocaelispor
slug: kocaelispor-bee39
url: /detay/kocaelispor-bee39
type: article
language: English
entity:
  primary: Kocaelispor
  type: article
  disambiguation: Kocaelispor: Turkish football club returning to Süper Lig in 2025-26.  Green & black glory!
  categories:
    - name: Sport
      slug: spor
      url: /kategori/spor
  tags:
    - Marmara Region
    - Turkish Teams
    - Football
    - Süper Lig
    - Kocaeli
    - İzmit
author: Doğan Eşkinat
created_at: 2025-05-02T11:53:11.870653+03:00
updated_at: 2025-05-06T10:35:23.549629+03:00
---

# Kocaelispor

<!-- CONTEXT: KURE Information Cards for "Kocaelispor" -->

## KURE Information Cards

### KURE Information Card: Kocaelispor

![Kocaelispor.png](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2025/05/02/Ihi0oRWIsDgtVf1lSsPUEuSQKTOrurtQ.png)

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Nickname(s) | Körfez (The Gulf) |
| Founded(Text) | 1966 |
| Rivals | Sakaryaspor,Bursaspor |
| Achievements | Turkish Cup Winners (2001-2002) |
| Home Stadium | Kocaeli Stadium |
| League | Trendyol 1. Lig (Türkiye) |

<!-- CONTEXT: Article Content for "Kocaelispor" -->

## Article Content

**Kocaelispor Club**, commonly known as **Kocaelispor**, is a professional football club based in **İzmit**, located in **Kocaeli Province**, Türkiye. The club was established in **1966** through the merger of three local teams: **Baçspor**, **İzmit Gençlik**, and **Doğanspor**. It is distinguished by its club colours, **green and black**, and is historically regarded as one of the most prominent provincial clubs in Turkish football.

![Image](https://cdn.kureansiklopedi.com/media/uploads/2025/05/02/O7Mota4Nb36oaw1O2UBnSUr6H47ZxjTF.jpg)

*Kocaelispor will return to Trendyol Süper Lig in the 2025-2026 season.*

### **Stadium and Infrastructure**

[Kocaelispor](/en/detay/kayserispor-609dc/llms.txt) plays its home matches at the **Kocaeli Stadium**, a modern venue with a seating capacity of approximately **34,000**. The stadium, inaugurated in **2018**, is among the largest and most advanced football facilities in Türkiye outside of the major metropolitan centers. The club benefits from substantial regional support and maintains a large and active fan base, particularly represented by the organized supporter group **Hodri Meydan**, founded in 1988.

![Image](https://cdn.kureansiklopedi.com/media/uploads/2025/05/02/297RPWwCqIqxRIsMwYk9kI0Jjp7kTMNJ.jpg)

*Kocaelispor's home ground has a maximum capacity of 34,000.*

### **Recent History and Promotion to the Süper Lig**

In the **2023–2024 season**, Kocaelispor competed in the **TFF First League** (Türkiye’s second-tier professional football division). The club secured **mathematical promotion** to the **Trendyol Süper Lig** following a successful league campaign, thereby returning to the top flight of Turkish football after a **15-year absence**. The promotion represents a significant milestone in the club’s recent history and a restoration of its historical status within the national football hierarchy.

Kocaelispor last competed in the [Süper Lig](/en/detay/super-lig-champions/llms.txt) during the **2008–2009 season**, after which it experienced a prolonged period of financial and sporting decline, including multiple relegations. The club’s return to the highest level has been regarded as a symbolic resurgence both for its community and for the broader representation of Anatolian football in the top division.

### **Honours and Achievements**

- **Türkiye Kupası (Turkish Cup): Winners (1):** 2001–2002 (defeated Beşiktaş in the final)
- **Süper Lig Best Finish:&#32;**5th place in the 1992–1993 season
- **International Appearances:** Participated in UEFA competitions, including the UEFA Cup

### **Club Identity and Legacy**

Kocaelispor is commonly referred to by the nickname **“Körfez”** (The Gulf), a reference to the Gulf of İzmit. The club has cultivated a strong regional identity and maintains traditional rivalries with neighboring clubs, most notably **Sakaryaspor**, with whom it contests the highly competitive **Marmara Derby**. Matches against **Bursaspor** are also considered significant regional encounters.

In addition to its sporting accomplishments, Kocaelispor has played a vital role in **local civic culture**, often seen as a symbol of pride for the industrial and working-class communities of [Kocaeli Province](/en/detay/kocaeli-province-61bc9/llms.txt).

<!-- CONTEXT: Academic Sources and References for "Kocaelispor" -->

## Academic Sources and References

1. Kocaelispor 16 yıl sonra Süper Lig'de, Anadolu Ajansı, 19 April 2025. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/futbol/kocaelispor-16-yil-sonra-super-ligde/3543275
2. Pişmaniye tasvirli stadda mutlu sona ulaşıldı, Anadolu Ajansı, 2017. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/spor/pismaniye-tasvirli-statta-mutlu-sona-ulasildi/949181
3. Türk futbolunun köklü ekiplerinden Kocaelispor 54 yaşında, Anadolu Ajansı, 2020. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/futbol/turk-futbolunun-koklu-ekiplerinden-kocaelispor-54-yasinda/1817185