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Enerbahce announced Tuesday that it has parted ways with head coach Ismail Kartal, a day after the team lost 2-1 to Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby.
In a statement, the club said Kartal had told the board he wanted to leave his post and that the decision was reached after talks “in a framework of mutual understanding and respect.”
The yellow-and-navy club thanked Kartal for his “effort, dedication and commitment to Fenerbahce” and wished him success in the rest of his career. The statement gave no further details on the talks or on who would take over the team.
The 65-year-old Kartal was appointed Fenerbahce coach for the fourth time on June 18. He was on the touchline for 18 matches in this spell, nine in the UEFA Champions League and nine in the Trendyol Super Lig, Türkiye’s top division.
Kartal’s record was nine wins, five draws and four defeats. His last match in charge was the 2-1 loss to Galatasaray, Fenerbahce’s crosstown rival. The fixture is one of the most closely watched in Turkish football.
Born in Istanbul in 1961, Kartal played for Fenerbahce from 1983 to 1993 and was part of the squad that won the league title in the 1988-89 season. After retiring he worked in the club’s academy and later coached several Turkish clubs, including Sivasspor, Ankaragucu, Caykur Rizespor and Konyaspor. He also served as a Fenerbahce assistant coach in the early 2010s.
He had been head coach at Fenerbahce three times before this return, starting in 2014, then in January 2022, when he took over after Vitor Pereira left, and again in 2023-24. In that last spell his team collected 99 league points, a club record, but finished second behind Galatasaray. Jose Mourinho replaced him at the end of that season. Kartal’s most recent job before this spell was a brief stay at the Iranian club Persepolis.
Kartal came back after Aziz Yildirim was elected club president again at an extraordinary general assembly on June 7, defeating Hakan Safi by a wide margin. Yildirim’s term runs until the next regular election in May or June 2027. His campaign promised to end the club’s wait for a league title. Fenerbahce has not won the top-flight championship since the 2013-14 season.
Kartal signed a one-year contract, according to a filing by the club on the Public Disclosure Platform. Former player Oguz Cetin was named football director, and former Fenerbahce player Dirk Kuyt joined as one of Kartal’s assistants.
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