Trabzonspor Pursues Thomas Reis as New Coach

Trabzonspor have wasted no time turning the page after the departure of Fatih Tekke. According to reports in the Turkish press, the club’s hierarchy has moved into a decisive phase of talks with German coach Thomas Reis, aiming to install him as the new man on the touchline.

Clear offer on the table

Sources close to the club say Trabzonspor have already presented Reis with a concrete proposal to take charge of the team for the coming period. Negotiations began almost immediately after Tekke’s exit was made official, with the Black Sea side pushing hard to secure a swift appointment and avoid a drift in the season.

Reis, currently in charge of Bulgarian champions Ludogorets, has already held an initial meeting with Trabzonspor officials. That sit-down, reported by Turkish outlet “61saat”, was not just exploratory. Club chiefs laid out a clear roadmap for the months ahead and tested how closely it matched the German’s vision.

The offer on the table is understood to be a contract running until the end of the current season. It is framed as a first trial phase, a chance for both sides to gauge the fit in real competition rather than on paper.

Short deal, long project

Inside the club, this is not being treated as a stopgap. Sources insist the board views the proposed deal as the opening chapter of a longer project with Reis, one that would extend beyond this season if results and performances meet expectations.

In other words, the length of the contract is short. The ambition behind it is not. By the end of the campaign, Trabzonspor expect to know whether Reis is the coach to lead a multi-year rebuild, and the agreement is designed to flip quickly into a longer-term arrangement if the team responds.

The numbers behind the interest

What is driving this push? Cold, hard figures from Bulgaria.

Since taking over Ludogorets on 12 July 2026, Reis has overseen 11 matches and delivered a striking return: an average of 2.18 points per game. That kind of output, over any stretch, catches attention. For a club searching for stability and a clear identity after a coaching change, it carries even more weight.

Those numbers also speak to how quickly he imprints his ideas. A rapid tactical stamp, a fast rise in results – exactly the profile that appeals to a Trabzonspor board eager to steady the season without writing it off.

From Germany’s youth ranks to Turkey and Bulgaria

Reis arrives at this moment with a substantial body of work behind him. He built his foundations in the youth systems at Bochum and Wolfsburg, working with under-19 sides and sharpening his reputation as a coach who can develop players and structure teams.

That work opened the door to senior roles. He later took charge of the first teams at Bochum and Schalke 04, two demanding benches in German football, where scrutiny is constant and margins are thin.

His first taste of Turkish football came with Samsunspor, a spell that left a strong impression in the Süper Lig and helped establish his name on Turkish soil. That success laid the groundwork for his current job at Ludogorets, where his results have now pulled Trabzonspor to his door.

Talks are already intensive. The plan is clear. What remains is the crucial step: whether Thomas Reis decides to swap Bulgaria for the Black Sea and become the architect of Trabzonspor’s next era.