Painful debut for Kuijt as interim manager at Fenerbahçe

Kuijt's debut as interim manager ended in defeat as Fenerbahçe lost 2-1 to Göztepe despite taking the lead through Guendouzi.

Dirk Kuijt suffered a difficult start to his tenure as Fenerbahçe interim manager on Saturday, losing 2-1 to mid-table Göztepe. Kuijt took over this week following the departure of Ismail Kartal, whom he had assisted since last summer.

Fenerbahçe came into the match seeking to reverse recent poor form, having lost 6-0 to Aston Villa and 2-1 to Galatasaray. Playing without Nathan Aké and Jayden Oosterwolde, the hosts took the lead shortly before half-time when Matteo Guendouzi scored from a Romelu Lukaku assist. Fenerbahçe dominated possession but failed to extend their advantage, allowing Göztepe to stay in the contest.

The visitors struck twice in three minutes after the break. Sinclair Armstrong scored shortly after coming on as a substitute, and André Henrique added a second to silence the home crowd at the Sükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium. Fenerbahçe could not recover and remain fifth in the Süper Lig. Kuijt faces another test next week when Liverpool visit in the Champions League.