Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe faces a high-stakes Champions League test on Oct. 4 when it welcomes English powerhouse Liverpool to Istanbul, amid a managerial overhaul and series of poor results.
Fenerbahçe enters the fixture reeling from a period of intense volatility. Following a 2-1 derby setback to archrival Galatasaray and a slump of just one win in five matches across all competitions, coach İsmail Kartal stepped down from his post.
Former Netherlands international and ex-Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt was placed in interim charge; however, his first match in charge resulted in a 2-1 loss at home to Göztepe on Oct. 31.
Multiple Turkish and European media outlets report that Fenerbahçe has reached an agreement in principle with 51-year-old Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao. Conceicao, who won 11 trophies during his seven-year tenure at Porto, is reportedly finalizing a 1.5-year contract in Istanbul and is expected to attend the match before officially assuming duties.
Kuyt, who played for both clubs during his career, acknowledged the emotional weight of the Liverpool matchup while emphasizing the task at hand.
“Liverpool means a lot to me, but Fenerbahçe means just as much,” Kuyt said after the Göztepe loss.
“This team hasn’t won a match in the Champions League for a long time. It would be great for us, but first you have to believe in it, and I believe. Once I leave this room, I will start thinking about the next match.”
Fenerbahçe’s recent form provides little comfort for the home supporters. Prior to the coaching change, the Turkish side suffered a humbling 6-0 loss to Aston Villa in Champions League action, highlighting defensive vulnerabilities that have seen the team concede 10 goals over its past five matches.
Liverpool arrives in Istanbul seeking to cement its place near the top of the Champions League standings, having won all three matches in the competition so far.
Also on Oct. 4, coach Martin Demichelis will be looking to strike a blow against his former employer when his RB Leipzig side hosts Manchester City.
Former Argentina center-back Demichelis spent three seasons at Manchester City, winning the 2013-14 Premier League title and two League Cups.
Demichelis, who also won four league titles as a player at Bayern Munich, is now hoping to bring success to Saxony in a budding coaching career.
Demichelis, 45, was controversially handpicked by then-Red Bull boss Jürgen Klopp to take over in the summer.
To bring in Demichelis, Leipzig sacked popular coach Ole Werner, who had taken a young team back into the Champions League.
Demichelis was relegated from La Liga during a short stint with Mallorca last season, but Klopp and Leipzig had seen enough to convince them of his ability after he oversaw a significant upturn in the club’s form.
After a rocky start with Leipzig including a 4-1 loss at Como in the Champions League and a 6-1 thrashing by Bayern Munich, Leipzig has won three games in a row.
The Red Bulls sit just three points off top spot in the Bundesliga but are in desperate need of points in Europe.
The 2020 semifinalist is 29th in the 36-team table after winning just one of three Champions League games this campaign.
