The tenure of Head Coach İsmail Kartal, who was brought in for the fourth time to lead the team before the season at Fenerbahçe, has ended following the Galatasaray derby. Kartal, who served for 132 days at the Yellow-Navy club, departed by mutual agreement following a meeting with the board of directors.
Under Kartal's management, Fenerbahçe played 18 official matches during this period, including 9 in the Süper Lig, 6 in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, and 3 in the Champions League league phase. The Yellow-Navy Blues recorded 9 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses in these encounters.
The experienced coach had decided to resign at a press conference following the UEFA Champions League match played against Roma on September 10; however, he continued his duty at the insistence of President Aziz Yıldırım. The results obtained in the subsequent period and especially the losses in the derbies increased the pressure on Kartal.
MET THE TARGET IN EUROPE, POINT LOSSES INCREASED IN THE LEAGUE
Fenerbahçe started the season with the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. Eliminating Gornik Zabrze, Sturm Graz, and Lyon, the Yellow-Navy Blues earned the right to compete in the Champions League after 18 years. In the league phase, Fenerbahçe drew with Roma and Slavia Prague and returned from the Aston Villa away match with a defeat.
In the 9-match period in European cups, where Fenerbahçe recorded 4 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss, the 6-0 defeat against Aston Villa and the failure to protect a two-goal lead in the Slavia Prague match became the focus of criticism.
In the Süper Lig, the Yellow-Navy Blues collected 16 points in the first 9 weeks and dropped 11 points. Starting the season with a defeat against Gençlerbirliği in Ankara, Fenerbahçe lost the Beşiktaş derby 2-1 after victories against Konyaspor and Samsunspor. Although a winning streak was achieved in the Eyüpspor, Çaykur Rizespor, and Alanyaspor matches following the goalless draw away at Gaziantep FK, the defeat against Galatasaray in the 9th week accelerated the separation process.
İsmail Kartal could not secure any points from the two derbies played this season. Losing 2-1 to Beşiktaş in Kadıköy, Fenerbahçe was also defeated by the same score away against Galatasaray.
Kartal, who previously served at the Yellow-Navy club in different periods, had collected 99 points in the league during the 2023-2024 season and had not experienced a derby defeat. However, in his fourth tenure during the 2026-2027 season, he remained at a 1.78 points-per-game average in the league.
News Source: 12punto
