Trabzonspor's First Conference League Opponents KuPS: A Gulf in Squad Values

Trabzonspor face Finnish side Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) away in their opening match of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League season. The claret-and-blues begin their league-phase journey in Europe with Thursday's match, which kicks off at 19.45 Turkish time.

Trabzonspor, under head coach Thomas Reis, aim to return from Finland with a win and start the six-match league phase with 3 points. The travelling squad announced before the match has significant absentees due to injuries, suspensions and players not included in the UEFA list.

KuPS on the slide, Moreno the attacking standout KuPS, one of the established clubs of Finnish football, are among the country's elite with 8 league titles in their history. The team, led by 35-year-old head coach Miika Nuutinen, finished the 22-match regular stage of the 2026 Veikkausliiga season top with 43 points to reach the championship group. However, the Finnish side have lost two in a row ahead of the Trabzonspor meeting, going down 1-0 at home to AC Oulu and 1-0 away to Inter Turku in the league.

In the Finnish side's attack, 31-year-old Nicaraguan striker Jaime Moreno stands out. Moreno is the team's top scorer with 10 goals and 3 assists in the league this season. Ghanaian left winger Bob Nii Armah and Finnish right winger Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba, with five goals each, are the other major contributors to the scoring.

European journeys KuPS began their European adventure in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. After eliminating North Macedonian side Vardar in the first round, they bowed out of the competition with defeat to Azerbaijani club Sabah FK in the second round. Knocked out by Romanian side Universitatea Craiova in the Europa League qualifiers and dropping into the Conference League play-off round, KuPS saw off Irish side Shamrock Rovers to reach the league phase.

Trabzonspor, meanwhile, began their European season in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. Eliminated by Hungarian side Ferencváros over two legs, the claret-and-blues continue in the Conference League. In a meeting between two teams separated by around €177 million in squad value, the Turkish side aim to leave with a win and make a confident start on the European stage.