Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Fenerbahce Accepts Kartal Resignation After Tense Roma Draw
Ismail Kartal was the coach of Fenerbahce.
After a 1-1 game against AS Roma, he said he was quitting.
He did not explain all of his reasons.
Club chairman Aziz Yildirim first said Kartal would not be allowed to leave.
Yildirim said fans had thrown a water bottle at Kartal and that social-media posts had upset him.
Kartal still did not attend the next training session.
A club official tried but failed to convince him to stay.
Reports later said Fenerbahce accepted his resignation.
Assistant coach Dirk Kuyt was expected to lead the team temporarily.
Fenerbahce reportedly accepted Ismail Kartal’s resignation on Friday after failing to persuade him to remain coach.
Kartal announced his resignation after Thursday’s 1-1 Champions League draw with AS Roma in Istanbul.
Club chairman Aziz Yildirim initially said the resignation was not accepted and that Kartal would continue.
Yildirim said a water bottle thrown at Kartal and social-media posts contributed to his decision.
Kartal missed Friday training, while assistant coach Dirk Kuyt was reportedly set to manage temporarily.
- Who
- Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal, club chairman Aziz Yildirim, assistant coach Dirk Kuyt, and club official Oguz Cetin were involved.
- What
- Kartal resigned after a 1-1 draw with AS Roma, and reports later said Fenerbahce accepted his resignation.
- When
- Kartal announced the resignation on Thursday; reports of its acceptance came on Friday.
- Where
- The draw took place in Istanbul, and Kartal missed training ahead of a match against Gaziantep FK.
- Why
- Yildirim said a water bottle thrown at Kartal and social-media posts had caused him distress; Kartal did not publicly explain his decision.
Kartal’s Resignation
Club’s Initial Response
Whether Kartal Should Leave
Kartal’s Resignation
Kartal announced that he was resigning and later missed training, while reports said he remained unwilling to continue.
Club’s Initial Response
Chairman Aziz Yildirim initially rejected the resignation and said Kartal would remain in charge.
Reason for the Decision
Kartal’s Resignation
Kartal did not publicly explain why he was quitting, saying only that he would not return.
Club’s Initial Response
Yildirim attributed Kartal’s distress to a water bottle thrown by fans and a series of social-media posts.
Final Status
Kartal’s Resignation
Reports said Kartal ultimately left after Fenerbahce failed to persuade him to stay.
Club’s Initial Response
The club’s first public position was that Kartal’s resignation had not been accepted, creating a temporary discrepancy with later media reports.
- Reported outcome
- Fenerbahce accepted Kartal’s resignation on Friday, according to Turkish media reports.
- Match result
- Fenerbahce drew 1-1 with AS Roma in a Champions League game.
- Initial club position
- Aziz Yildirim initially said Kartal’s resignation was not accepted and that he would remain coach.
- Reported incident
- Yildirim said fans threw a water bottle at Kartal’s head.
- Next fixture
- Kartal missed training ahead of a Superlig match against Gaziantep FK.
- Temporary manager
- Reports said assistant coach Dirk Kuyt would manage the team temporarily.