Thomas Reis, who arrived in Samsun quietly, was sent off like a champion.

16.02.2026 18:16

Samsunspor fans emotionally bid farewell to their former coach Thomas Reis at the airport, who led the team to a 3rd place finish in the Super Lig last season, taking them to European cups.

At the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, German coach Thomas Reis, who quietly took over with the goal of keeping Samsunspor in the league, led the red-and-white team to great success during a period with a transfer ban.

SAMSUNSPOR FINISHED THE SEASON IN THIRD PLACE

Samsunspor finished the season in 3rd place, ahead of strong rivals like Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor. The Black Sea representative competed in the UEFA Europa League play-off round and the UEFA Europa Conference League with this success. However, after poor results in the league and Europe, Reis parted ways with the club.

As the German coach left Samsun, the fans did not abandon him. The fans, who showed their love with banners, gifted him a rosary, a keychain, and a scarf. The fans, who conveyed the message "Samsunspor is your home," expressed that Reis could always come to the city and that he holds a special place in their hearts.

'I CAME TO STAY IN THE LEAGUE, WE MADE HISTORY'

Thomas Reis, expressing that the success achieved at Samsunspor is historic, said, "Thank you for your support. The results we obtained were not positive. I did not expect such support. This is not normal support. I am very happy to have coached in this beautiful club. It was a great pleasure for me. We made history together. We will never forget this. My term has ended. I am sure you will continue to support the team in the future, which is very important for us. I came to keep Samsunspor in the league. We spent 20 months together. I am proud and happy that I contributed to the team in terms of building a foundation. Thank you for everything," he said.

'DON'T GO, I NEED YOU' SONG WAS SUNG

After the emotional farewell, Reis posed for a three-way photo with the fans and headed to his flight to Istanbul. It drew attention that some fans sang "Don't go, I need you" as Reis walked to the plane. Meanwhile, members of the Samsunspor Executive Board also came to bid farewell to Reis.