Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal
Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal announced his resignation after a 1-1 home draw with Roma in the Champions League opener on Sept. 10, but club President Aziz Yıldırım insisted he would remain in charge.
“I am resigning this evening, never to return,” Kartal told a post-match news conference at Chobani Stadium.
Kartal said he had made the decision to clear the way for the club. He thanked his players and the management for their support during his three months in charge and declined to take questions.
Speaking afterward, Yıldırım said Kartal had been hit on the head by a water bottle during the match and linked his decision to the incident and the pressure he was facing.
“İsmail Kartal remains in charge,” Yıldırım said, calling on supporters to stand behind the coach.
Yıldırım said the resignation had caught the management by surprise. He had spoken to Kartal after the announcement, and the coach had told him about the bottle incident and the pressure he felt.
“I told him, ‘You will continue,’ and that was that. I am his senior. We are a family,” Yıldırım said.
The president criticized media coverage and social media attacks, saying the club’s return to the Champions League after an 18-year absence deserved recognition.
“You cannot support someone by throwing a bottle at his head,” he said.
Kartal had praised his players’ performance against Roma before announcing his resignation, saying they had followed his instructions and created clear chances to win.
“We could have won,” he said. “I am proud of my players.”
