Fenerbahçe coach quits after being targeted by bottle but president rejects resignation

by · The42

FENERBAHÇE COACH ISMAIL Kartal resigned after he was targeted by a bottle thrown from the crowd during the club’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma on Thursday, but his president rejected it.

“I quit and I’m not coming back,” the 65-year-old, who was only hired in June, said on beIN Sports Turkey after the game.

However, Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yildirim said that Kartal would be going nowhere.

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“Ismail Kartal is at the start of his mission. We support him,” said Yildirim.

The Istanbul club said on social media that the person who had thrown a bottle at Kartal had been identified and banned from the stadium.

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– © AFP 2026