Emerging from a merger of local teams in Trabzon, the club quickly rose to prominence, winning its first Süper Lig title in 1975–76.
In the following decades, the club faced challenges, including missed championship opportunities and financial restructuring, but consistently remained competitive, often finishing near the top of the league.
The split frustrated the fans as well as the players, which led to some of Trabzon's biggest talents moving to Ankara and Istanbul to play football.
The fans and club officials began to lose patience until Turkish Football Federation General Manager Ulvi Yenal came up with a compromise.
[9] A year later, Trabzonspor experienced the same fate; despite having the same points as the leader (Kayserispor), it finished second due to goal difference and failed to achieve promotion to the Turkish First Football League.
Although Trabzonspor lost the championship match against the winner of the other group (Zonguldakspor) in a penalty shootout, it finally earned promotion to the Turkish First Football League.
[11] During these years, players like Necmi Perekli, Şenol Güneş, and Cemil Usta, who would later become part of the championship-winning team, started to feature in the squad.
[16] In addition, during the same year, Trabzonspor reached the final of the Turkish Cup but failed to win the trophy after defeating Beşiktaş 1–0 at home and losing 2–0 in Istanbul.
[24] During this era, Trabzonspor’s goalkeeper Şenol Güneş achieved an extraordinary feat by not conceding a goal for 1,110 minutes between 17 September 1978 and 18 February 1979.
Following the match, a fan in Görele, Giresun, deeply saddened by the loss, committed suicide, leaving a note that read: “Wrap me in a Trabzonspor flag when I am buried.
Players like Abdullah Ercan, Ogün Temizkanoğlu, and Tolunay Kafkas were let go, and expensive signings like Rune Lange were made.
However, players such as Rune Lange, Kevin David Campbell, and Jean-Jacques Missé-Missé failed to deliver successful performances for Trabzonspor.
[43] Fans organized a protest in Trabzon attended by 40,000 people, calling for the resignation of the Federation and the Central Referee Board.
Under the presidency of Nuri Albayrak, Trabzonspor sought success by signing high-profile foreign players like Marcelinho[44] and Kiki Musampa.
While this process was ongoing, Trabzonspor lost several key players and entered the 2011–12 season with a significantly different squad, finishing in third place.
In the 2013–14 season, Trabzonspor signed players such as Florent Malouda and José Bosingwa and appointed Mustafa Reşit Akçay as head coach.
Before the 2014–15 season, Vahid Halilhodžić was appointed as head coach, and the squad underwent significant changes, with nearly 20 new signings, including Óscar Cardozo, Mehmet Ekici, Kévin Constant, Waris, and Yatabare.
Under Yanal’s management, Trabzonspor performed better, advancing to the Europa League Round of 32 by finishing second in a group that included Metalist Kharkiv, Lokeren, and Legia Warsaw.
Despite injuries to key players and a transfer ban during the mid-season window, the team finished fourth, five points behind champions Galatasaray.
It experienced its brightest period in the last 10 years, entering the break due to the COVID-19 pandemic as league leaders with 8 weeks remaining.
Following the pandemic break, the team experienced a performance drop and on 19 July 2020, missed out on what was its closest shot at the championship in 36 years.
However, after failing to deliver the expected performance in the first 8 weeks, Newton was dismissed, and the club signed Abdullah Avcı as head coach.
Under Eddie Newton’s management, the team had dropped to the relegation zone, but with Abdullah Avcı’s arrival, Trabzonspor climbed to 4th place and finished the season in that position.
Additionally, the Turkish Super Cup, which had been postponed the previous season due to the pandemic, was played on 27 January 2021, and Trabzonspor defeated İstanbul Başakşehir to claim the trophy for the 9th time in their history.
However, in the 2020–21 Turkish Cup, Trabzonspor was eliminated in the 5th round by Adana Demirspor, losing 4–3 on penalties after a 2–2 draw in regular and extra time.
The club’s previous league triumph was in the 1983–84 season, and this historic victory ended nearly four decades of longing for their passionate fanbase.
[53][54] Under the management of Abdullah Avcı, Trabzonspor demonstrated consistent performances throughout the season, maintaining a dominant position in the league standings.
Their balanced squad and tactical discipline were instrumental in their success, with standout performances from key players such as Anastasios Bakasetas and Anthony Nwakaeme.
The joyous occasion underscored the significance of the title, which reaffirmed Trabzonspor’s status as one of Turkey’s most historic and successful football clubs.
It also marked a significant moment in Turkish football history, breaking the Istanbul-based dominance of Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, and Galatasaray, which had collectively won every league title since 1984.