Çaykur Rizespor Football Club, competing in Turkey’s top flight—the Trendyol Süper Lig—has officially confirmed that it has extended its agreement with head coach İlhan Palut. The parties have agreed to add one more season to the existing contract, meaning the coach will guide the Green-Blues at least until the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
In a press release published by the Rize-based club, it was emphasized that the decision to renew was based on the consistent results delivered by the specialist:
“Our Çaykur Rizespor has reached an agreement with head coach İlhan Palut to continue our cooperation for the 2025/2026 season. We congratulate İlhan Palut and his entire coaching staff, who have been working within our club for two years, demonstrating stability and professionalism. We hope the new agreement will benefit both our club and Palut himself. We respectfully announce this to our large football family and to the public.”
For the 48-year-old Palut, the current agreement marks the third since his appointment in the summer of 2023. Over two years at the helm, the coach has built a competitive style of play, a fact confirmed by the recently completed season: the side from Rize collected 49 points and finished ninth in the Süper Lig standings—an impressive result for a team promoted to the top flight only a year earlier.
The coach’s success is evident not only in the points tally but also in the notable development of young footballers who have become key figures in Palut’s tactical schemes. The club’s management has repeatedly stressed that long-term development is the main priority: retaining the head coach for another season is intended to ensure strategic sustainability and give the players the opportunity to evolve within a familiar framework.
The contract extension also meets the expectations of Rizespor supporters, who value the attacking and courageous football the team displayed in the last campaign. Palut’s next task is to build on the established foundation: secure a place in the upper half of the table, possibly challenge for European spots, and continue to raise the market value of creative players who are attracting attention from the country’s top clubs.
Thus, continuity has been maintained in Rizespor’s dugout, offering the chance to turn stability into progress. Both sides express confidence that their cooperation will serve not only sporting objectives but also strengthen the club’s image within Turkish football.
