Dirk Kuyt named interim Fenerbahce coach after Ismail Kartal's departure

Kuyt takes charge

Dirk Kuyt, 46, has been appointed interim head coach of Fenerbahce Istanbul, the club said. The former Netherlands forward had been working as assistant to Ismail Kartal, who left after the side lost 2-1 to Galatasaray on Monday, 26 October. Fenerbahce said Kuyt would hold the post until a new head coach is appointed, and SRF reported that he will lead the first team in the role of technical coordinator. The club announced Kartal's departure on Tuesday, 27 October, in a statement posted on X. Kartal had already announced his resignation in September after a Champions League match against AS Roma, but he stayed on when the board did not accept it.

Kuyt's history with the club

Kuyt knows the Istanbul club well, having played for Fenerbahce from 2012 to 2015. NOS reported that he made 130 appearances in that spell and won the Turkish league title in 2014, the cup in 2013 and the Super Cup in 2013. The BBC dates the league title to the 2013-14 season. Before joining Fenerbahce he spent six years at Liverpool, winning the League Cup in 2012 and scoring 71 goals in 285 appearances. After a spell at Feyenoord he retired as a player in 2017, then managed ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht before joining Fenerbahce as an assistant in June 2026.

Fixtures and table position

Kuyt's first match in charge is a league game at Göztepe on Saturday, 31 October, and Telegraaf gives the kick-off as 17:00. Liverpool visit Istanbul for a Champions League group-stage tie on Wednesday, 4 November, at 17:45 GMT, a match that pits Kuyt against the club he was under contract with from 2006 to 2012. A league trip to Corum FK follows on Sunday, 8 November, before the international break begins. Fenerbahce are fifth in the Turkish Super Lig, six points behind leaders Galatasaray after nine matches. Telegraaf, citing well-informed sources, reported that Kuyt is expected to remain in charge at least until the international break, while it is not yet known whether he is a candidate for the permanent post.

Background to the exit

The final whistle of the Galatasaray game on Monday was followed by scuffles on the pitch, which Fenerbahce condemned in a statement on Tuesday, according to Telegraaf. NOS described unrest in the closing minutes of the match. NOS also reported that a Fenerbahce supporter threw a bottle towards Kartal, an incident that preceded his first resignation announcement in September. At the press conference after that match Kartal said he was leaving with immediate effect, but the board later that evening said this was not the case. The board accepted his departure on Tuesday, 27 October, the day after the derby defeat, and Telegraaf noted that Kuyt was already a candidate to take over at that earlier point.