Former Liverpool star could take charge of Fenerbahce after Ismail Kartal’s exit
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Ismail Kartal has mutually parted ways with Fenerbahce.Fenerbahce announced on Tuesday that they had parted ways with head coach Ismail Kartal, a day after their 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby.The 65-year-old began his fourth spell in charge on June 18, overseeing 18 matches across the Champions League and Turkish Super Lig.His record stood at nine wins, five draws and four defeats, with the loss to city rivals Galatasaray proving his final game at the helm.A club statement read: “Our Head Coach, İsmail Kartal, has informed our management of his decision to resign, and following discussions, this decision has been evaluated with mutual understanding and respect.“We thank İsmail Kartal for his efforts, dedication, and commitment to Fenerbahçe. We wish him success in his future career.”Kartal played for Fenerbahce from 1983 to 1993, winning the league title in the 1988/89 season.
After retiring, he worked in the club’s academy and coached several Turkish sides, including Sivasspor, Ankaragucu, Caykur Rizespor and Konyaspor, before serving as a Fenerbahce assistant in the early 2010s.He previously managed Fenerbahce in 2014, January 2022 and the 2023/24 season. During his last spell, he guided the team to a club-record 99 league points, but they finished second behind Galatasaray.Jose Mourinho replaced him at the end of that campaign, and Kartal later had a brief spell at Iranian club Persepolis.
His latest return followed Aziz Yildirim’s election as club president on June 7.Kartal signed a one-year contract, while former player Oguz Cetin became football director and ex-Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt joined the coaching staff as an assistant.According to Turkish journalist Yagız Sabuncuoglu, Fenerbahce are considering appointing Kuyt to lead the team against Goztepe following Kartal’s departure.The Netherlands international joined Fenerbahce from Liverpool in 2012, winning the Turkish Cup in his first season and the Süper Lig in 2014, the club’s most recent league title.Kuyt spent six successful years at Liverpool after joining from Feyenoord in 2006, scoring 71 goals in more than 250 appearances.Since retiring, he has moved into coaching and continued to build his reputation in the Netherlands, following a promising spell at FC Dordrecht. Fenerbahce have not won the Turkish league title since the 2013/14 season.Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free.