Trabzonspor Pursues Thomas Reis as New Head Coach

Trabzonspor have accelerated their hunt for a new head coach, with Turkish reports indicating the club has entered a decisive stage in talks with German manager Thomas Reis to succeed the late Fatih Tekke.

The Black Sea club did not linger after Tekke’s departure was confirmed. They went straight to Reis, a coach whose work in Turkey has already left a strong impression thanks to his spell with Samsunspor in the Super League.

Short deal, big project

According to Turkish outlet “61saat”, Trabzonspor officials have already held an initial face-to-face meeting with Reis, who is currently in charge of Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. During that sit-down, the board is said to have presented a clear roadmap for the coming months.

The core of the proposal: an initial contract running only until the end of the current season. On paper, it looks like a trial run. Inside the club, it is being framed very differently.

Sources close to the negotiations insist Trabzonspor are not looking for a stopgap. The short-term agreement is designed as the first chapter of a longer project with Reis, one that would formally extend based on results and performances when this campaign closes. If the team responds, the partnership continues. If not, the club keeps its flexibility.

Numbers that command attention

What pushes Reis to the front of Trabzonspor’s shortlist is not just his familiarity with Turkish football, but the numbers he is putting up in Bulgaria.

Since taking over Ludogorets on 12 July 2026, the 50-year-old has overseen 11 matches and produced an impressive average of 2.18 points per game. For a coach still relatively new to the club and the league, that return signals a rapid tactical impact and a dressing room that has bought into his methods.

Those figures have not gone unnoticed in Trabzon. For a side searching for stability and a clear identity after Tekke, a coach who can impose his ideas quickly carries obvious appeal.

From youth dugouts to the Super League

Reis arrives at this moment with a solid and varied coaching résumé behind him.

He cut his teeth in youth football, working with the under-19 teams at Bochum and Wolfsburg, before stepping up to senior management with Bochum’s first team. A move to Schalke 04 followed, exposing him to the intense scrutiny and pressure of one of Germany’s most demanding clubs.

His first taste of Turkish football came with Samsunspor, where he enhanced his reputation by adapting his style to the league’s physical tempo and emotional atmosphere. That success opened the door to his current role at Ludogorets, where his results have now drawn Trabzonspor to his door.

Talks are active, the offer is clear, and the project is on the table. The next move belongs to Thomas Reis – and it could reshape Trabzonspor’s future beyond just the end of this season.