Fener manager resigns after heated derby, interim role beckons for Kuijt

Ismail Kartal resigned as Fenerbahçe manager the day after a 2-1 derby loss to Galatasaray; Dirk Kuijt will take over as interim coach.

Ismail Kartal has resigned as Fenerbahçe manager, effective immediately, following the club's 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby on Monday. The 65-year-old Turkish coach submitted his resignation on Tuesday, a day after the loss left Fenerbahçe fifth in the Süper Lig. This marks the end of Kartal's fourth spell in charge; he had been appointed in late June and managed the club for sixteen matches. Kartal had previously attempted to resign in September after a Champions League draw with AS Roma, but club president Aziz Yildirim rejected it at that time.

Dirk Kuijt, the 46-year-old Dutch assistant coach, will assume the interim manager role until a permanent replacement is found. Kuijt joined Fenerbahçe's coaching staff last summer after leaving his position as head coach at FC Dordrecht. The former Fenerbahçe player spent three seasons at the club between 2012 and 2015, making 130 appearances and scoring 37 goals with 28 assists. During his playing career there, Kuijt won the Turkish Cup, Turkish league title, and Turkish Super Cup across three consecutive seasons before moving to Feyenoord, where he retired in 2017.