The head coach of Fenerbahce, Ismail Kartal, announced his resignation on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at home against Roma in the Champions League. In a surprising turn during the post-match press conference, the 65-year-old claimed he was leaving Fenerbahce “never to return,” stating his decision was made to “clear the way for the club.”

However, Fenerbahce's president, Aziz Yildirim, quickly contradicted Kartal's claims, asserting that the coach would remain in his position. Yildirim explained that some fans had thrown a bottle at Kartal during the game, which contributed to his upset demeanor. He emphasized, “I just spoke to Ismail Kartal… I told him to continue and that’s it. We are a family.”

Kartal has a long history with Fenerbahce, having played for the club for a decade and previously serving as manager during the 2014-15 season and on an interim basis in 2021-22. He returned for a full campaign in 2023-24 after being part of the coaching staff during the club's last two Turkish title wins.

Fenerbahce has faced challenges recently, finishing second in the Turkish Super Lig for the last five seasons and struggling in the current league, sitting ninth after losing twice in their first four matches, including a 2-1 defeat to Besiktas.

In the match against Roma, Donyell Malen assisted Bryan Cristante for the opening goal in the 39th minute, but Fenerbahce equalized before halftime with a goal from Archie Brown. A potential winning penalty for Roma was overturned by VAR, and Fenerbahce nearly clinched victory when Nathan Aké struck the crossbar late in the game.

The future of Kartal remains uncertain as Fenerbahce prepares for upcoming matches against Aston Villa and Liverpool.