Ismail Kartal, Dirk Kuyt and Fenerbahce
11 September 2026
Fenerbahce’s coaching crisis deepened a day after Ismail Kartal announced his resignation, with assistant Dirk Kuyt and Zeki Gole taking charge of training. A Turkish report said Kartal had switched off his phones and was unreachable by the club.
President Aziz Yildirim had publicly rejected Kartal’s resignation and insisted he remained head coach after the Roma draw. Club officials reportedly planned further talks with him, leaving Kuyt in temporary control while Fenerbahce tried to resolve the standoff.