Fenerbahçe accept Kartal’s resignation, Dirk Kuyt to be interim coach

Fenerbahçe accepted head coach Ismail Kartal’s resignation Friday, Turkish media reports said, after failing to convince him to stay at the helm of the Istanbul side.

Kartal announced he was stepping down following Thursday’s draw against Roma that ended 18 years of Fenerbahçe’s absence from the Champions League. He did not explain why he was quitting just three months after taking up the position and refused to take questions.

Fenerbahçe initially refused to accept his resignation following the 1-1 draw in Istanbul but failed to persuade him to stay, media reported. Assistant coach Dirk Kuyt would temporarily manage the team, the report said. There was no immediate official statement from Fenerbahçe.

“First of all, I congratulate my players for carrying out the tasks I assigned for tonight’s match to the letter. We played football worthy of the Champions League,” Kartal said Thursday at a post-match news conference. “We could have won the match; we had clear chances. The match ended in a draw, and I am proud of my players.”

Kartal continued: “Tonight, I am resigning from my position – never to return. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my players.”

In a separate news conference soon after, club chair Aziz Yıldırım said Fenerbahçe fans had hurled a water bottle at Kartal, describing the incident as a reason for the coach’s decision. Kartal was also upset by a series of social media posts, Yıldırım said.

Assistant coach of Fenerbahçe Dirk Kuyt looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League playoffs second-leg football match between Lyon and Fenerbahçe SK in Lyon, France, Aug. 26, 2026. (EPA Photo)

Yıldırım insisted that Kartal’s resignation was not accepted and that he would remain at the helm.

“You saw the state Ismail was in. Can a person endure that much distress?” Yıldırım said. “They threw a water bottle at Ismail Kartal’s head. We saw it. That is why he is upset.”

“Ismail Kartal remains in his post,” he added. “I said (to Kartal): ‘You will continue,’ and that was that.”

Kartal nevertheless failed to attend training Friday ahead of a Süper Lig game against Gaziantep FK. Fenerbahçe Football Director Oğuz Çetin later met with Kartal but failed to convince him to stay, broadcaster NTV reported.

The Istanbul club, meanwhile, said on social media that the person who had thrown a bottle at Kartal had been identified and banned from the stadium.

Kartal, who spent a decade at Fenerbahçe as a player, coached the club in 2014-15, then on an interim basis in 2021-22 before returning for a full campaign in 2023-24.

He was assistant manager at Fenerbahçe ⁠the ‌last ‌two times the club won the ⁠Süper Lig and returned ‌for a fourth managerial spell in June.

Fenerbahçe have finished second in the Turkish ⁠top flight in the last five ⁠seasons and reached the league phase of ⁠the Champions League this season for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.

DAILYSABAH