Samsunspor

Samsunspor are the leading football club of Samsun, the port city on Turkey's central Black Sea coast. The club trace their roots to an amateur side formed in 1927 that played in black and white, but their official founding date is 30 June 1965, when they turned professional in red and white. Known as Kirmizi Simsekler, the Red Lightning, Samsunspor have played since 2017 at the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium, a ground of around 34,000 seats that replaced the old 19 Mayis Stadium.

Samsunspor hold the Turkish record for second-tier titles with seven, and they also won the third tier in 2019-20. Their best league finish is third, first reached in 1985-86 and 1986-87, when Tanju Colak's goals drove the team, and matched in 2024-25; they were also Turkish Cup runners-up in 1988. Under Gheorghe Multescu they won the 1993-94 Balkans Cup, and Serkan Aykut was the Super Lig's top scorer in 1999-2000 with 30 goals.