September 18 – Turkish SuperLig club Trabzonspor have appointed Thomas Reis as the club’s new head coach. The German coach was presented on Thursday at Papara Park, where Reis signed a two-year contract with the Black Sea club.
Reis joins from Ludogorets Razgrad after Trabzonspor agreed to pay the €1m release clause in his contract. Succeeds Fatih Tekke, after his resignation at the beginning of September.
Ludogorets said the surprise offer came on Tuesday and, after lengthy discussions over compensation, the club granted German clearance to travel to Trebizond. The club’s management agreed to enter into talks with Trabzonspor given the long layoff and ample time available to find a new coach.
Reis has expressed a strong desire to take the opportunity to train top-level stars such as Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and André Onana.
“Ludogorets, who have completed impressive player transfers in recent years, have for the first time negotiated the transfer of their coach to another team for a significant compensation. This proves once again that in addition to top players, the club also attracts top coaches,” the club said in a statement.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Trabzonspor vice president Zeyyat Kafkas explained the club’s decision-making process.
“We went through an unexpected situation, but we finally signed a two-year contract with Mr. Thomas Reis, whose management skills and hard work we fully trust. When you get an offer from a big club like Trabzonspor, don’t hesitate. Reis showed great enthusiasm from our first meeting, agreeing to leave his previous club within 24 hours,” he said.
“I would like to thank President Ertuğrul Doğan, Vice President Zeyyat Kafkas and Vice President İbrahim Şahinkaya for their trust in me. I am very happy and excited to be here, and I hope we will write a great story together,” Reis said.
“My philosophy has always been ‘less talk, more work’. I already know the Süper Lig well from my previous experience, so I won’t need weeks to adapt. Step by step, with hard work, we will get this team in a much better position. When an offer comes from a club as big as Trabzonspor, with such a rich history and ambitious goals, you accept it without delay.”
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, a (email protected)