Off the PitchBBC SportUnverified source· 11 Sept 2026
Kartal stays Fenerbahce boss after resignation U-turn
Ismail Kartal resigned minutes after a Champions League draw, but Fenerbahce refused to accept it.
Who
Ismail Kartal
What
Resigned but remains head coach
When
After Thursday's Champions League game
Where
Fenerbahce
What happened. Ismail Kartal said he had resigned as Fenerbahce head coach minutes after Thursday's 1-1 Champions League home draw with Roma. But club president Aziz Yildirim did not accept the resignation, and Fenerbahce confirmed on Friday that Kartal remains in charge.
- Kartal cited pressure and being struck by a bottle from the stands as reasons for his decision.
- Fenerbahce said a spectator involved in the bottle incident has been identified and banned.
- Kartal is in his fourth spell as head coach, having taken over in June.
“You can't show support by throwing punches at him like this”
— Fenerbahce
Kartal will lead training on Saturday and take charge of Monday's Turkish Super Lig game against Gaziantep FK.
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