Kartal resigns after Roma draw but Fenerbahce president insists he stays

Lead

Ismail Kartal announced his resignation as Fenerbahce manager immediately after Wednesday’s 1-1 home draw with Roma in the Champions League. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Club president Aziz Yildirim then rejected the resignation and said Kartal remains Fenerbahce head coach, creating an immediate clash between the manager’s public decision and the club’s stated position. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4

What happened

Fenerbahce drew 1-1 with Roma on 10 September in what was the club’s first Champions League appearance for 18 years. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Archie Brown scored Fenerbahce’s equaliser in the 48th minute, with Mason Greenwood credited with the assist, before a Roma penalty was overturned following a VAR review in the 69th minute. Source 6

Kartal announced that he had resigned during the post-match press conference, saying his decision was intended to clear a path for the club and that he did not plan to return. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 Yildirim responded by rejecting the move, confirming that Kartal remained in the role and stating that the coach would stay in charge until the president himself leaves the club. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 The president attributed the decision in part to pressure on Kartal and an incident during the match in which a bottle was thrown at the manager’s head. Source 1Source 2Source 4

Kartal had only returned for a fourth spell as Fenerbahce manager in June 2026. Source 1Source 3Source 4 His links with the club also include more than 250 appearances as a player and previous coaching roles. Source 1

Why it matters

The draw gives Fenerbahce one point and a goal difference of zero after their opening Champions League league-stage match, leaving them 20th in the standings. Source 9 The result was therefore followed not by a settled assessment of the European campaign, but by uncertainty over who will lead the side into its next matches. Source 1Source 2Source 4

Fenerbahce’s domestic start has also been uneven, with the team ninth in the Süper Lig after two wins and two defeats from four matches. Source 1 Across those four league fixtures, Fenerbahce have scored eight goals, conceded six and found the net in every match. Source 8 Their Champions League season statistics record six matches without defeat, comprising four wins and two draws, with eight goals scored, three conceded and three clean sheets. Source 7

The management dispute is particularly significant because Yildirim’s intervention means Kartal’s announced resignation has not been accepted by the club president. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Brown appeared surprised when he learned of the announcement during a post-match interview, underlining how quickly the situation developed after the final whistle. Source 5

What’s next

Fenerbahce are scheduled to travel to Gaziantep FK in the Süper Lig on 14 September, with kick-off set for 17:00 UTC. Source 10 Their next Champions League fixture is away to Aston Villa on 14 October at 19:00 UTC. Source 10

For now, Yildirim’s public position is that Kartal remains head coach, meaning the immediate focus will be on whether the manager continues to prepare the team for the Gaziantep FK match. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 10

Notes

The available accounts establish two opposing public positions: Kartal announced that he was resigning, while Yildirim said he had rejected that decision and instructed him to carry on. Source 1Source 2Source 4 That leaves the manager’s practical status unresolved beyond the president’s assertion that Kartal is still in charge. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4