Trabzonspor will look to carry their domestic momentum into Europe when they visit Finnish side KuPS Kuopio on Thursday for their opening match in the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League league phase.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Türkiye time at Tammelan Stadion in Tampere.
Trabzonspor enter the competition after falling short in the Europa League qualifying playoffs, losing 1-0 at home and 4-0 away to Hungary's Ferencvaros for a 5-0 aggregate defeat.
The Black Sea club will now attempt to make a fresh start in Europe's third-tier competition, hoping to end their recent continental struggles with a victory.
The match also offers an opportunity for coach Thomas Reis to extend his team's improving domestic form.
Trabzonspor have won their last two Turkish Süper Lig matches convincingly, beating Galatasaray 4-0 at home before securing a 3-0 victory away to Samsunspor.
Those results have given Reis's side renewed confidence, with seven goals scored and none conceded across the two matches.
Another victory on Thursday would give Trabzonspor three consecutive competitive wins and provide a timely boost to their European campaign.
The match will mark Reis's first European fixture in charge of Trabzonspor, adding another test for a coach who has overseen an encouraging improvement in the team's domestic performances.
However, ending the club's European winless run remains a priority. Trabzonspor's last continental victory came on Aug. 1, 2024, when they defeated Slovakia's Ruzomberok 1-0 at home in the Europa League second qualifying round.
Since then, the Turkish side have played six European matches without winning, recording four defeats and two draws.
Their heavy aggregate loss to Ferencvaros underlined the need for a stronger performance as they begin their Conference League campaign.
Trabzonspor can take some encouragement from their previous meetings with Finnish opposition, having recorded one win and one draw in two matches against teams from the country.
KuPS will also be eager to make a positive start, although the Finnish champions arrive after a difficult spell in their domestic league.
Coach Miika Nuutinen's side have struggled for consistency during their title defense in the Veikkausliiga.
Their only victory in their last seven league matches was a 2-0 away win over VPS, followed by consecutive 1-0 defeats against AC Oulu at home and Inter Turku away.
The Finnish club nevertheless secured a place in the Conference League league phase after overcoming Shamrock Rovers in the qualifying playoffs. Following a 1-1 draw in Ireland, KuPS won the return leg 1-0 to advance on aggregate.
Their European campaign has already included setbacks in earlier qualifying rounds, with exits from the Champions League qualifiers against Sabah Baku and the Europa League qualifiers against Universitatea Craiova before they secured their place in the Conference League.
Jaime Moreno, who has scored 11 goals for KuPS across all competitions this season, will be one of the home side's principal attacking threats.
The Finnish club have also faced the challenge of playing away from their usual home ground. Their stadium in Kuopio does not meet UEFA's requirements for Conference League matches, forcing them to stage their European fixtures at Tammelan Stadion in Tampere, approximately 300 kilometers away.
The venue has a capacity of 8,000 and features an artificial playing surface, conditions Trabzonspor will need to adapt to quickly.
KuPS and Trabzonspor have never met before, although the Finnish side have previous experience against Turkish opposition, recording one win and one defeat in two encounters.
Trabzonspor will be without several players for the opening fixture. Chibuike Nwaiwu and Sidny Lopes Cabral are suspended after receiving red cards, while goalkeeper Onuralp Çevikkan and midfielder Okay Yokuşlu have been listed among the injured.
Ruslan Malinovskyi is also unavailable because of suspension and injury concerns, while Umut Nayir is another reported absentee. Tim Jabol-Folcarelli has been an injury concern, and Arseniy Batagov has been working toward a return.
Malinovskyi's absence has also affected the club's European squad planning. Melih Kabasakal was added to Trabzonspor's UEFA list as his replacement.
There will, however, be additional options for Reis in Europe. Batista Mendy and Benjamin Bouchouari, who have been unable to play in the Süper Lig because of foreign-player registration restrictions, are eligible for continental fixtures.
