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Fenerbahce has appointed Ismail Kartal as its new head coach, bringing back a former club player and experienced Turkish manager with long-standing ties to the Istanbul side.
Kartal, one of the well-known figures in Turkish football, has built his career both as a former right-back and as a coach who has worked with several clubs in Türkiye and abroad.
Born on May 25, 1961, in Istanbul's Anadolu Kavagi neighborhood, 65-year-old Kartal is married and has two children.
Kartal began his football career in the youth setup of Sariyer before moving on to Gaziantepspor. His most prominent spell as a player came at Fenerbahce, where he played between 1983 and 1993.
During his 10-year spell with the club, he played as a right-back. He became one of the club's memorable names through his consistent performances, scoring 15 goals in 235 matches and playing a role in many championship-winning campaigns.
Kartal later played for Denizlispor, where he had his most productive scoring season with 12 goals. He then wore the Adanaspor shirt, the club where he ended his playing career. He also represented the national team at senior and under-21 levels.
After moving into coaching, Kartal took charge of several Turkish clubs and achieved promotion success with several Anadolu clubs, a term often used in Turkish football for teams based outside Istanbul's major football scene.
He led Sivasspor to the 1. Lig title, taking the club up to the Super Lig for the first time in its history. The Super Lig is Türkiye's top-tier football division. He also guided Ankaragucu back to the Super Lig after a six-year absence.
Kartal later became closely associated with Fenerbahce again, first through long periods as an assistant coach and then through three separate spells as head coach.
In the 2014-2015 season, he won the Super Cup with Fenerbahce. During the 2023-2024 season, his team finished second in the league despite collecting 99 points and going unbeaten in away matches.
Kartal also worked outside Türkiye in the first half of 2025, when he coached Iran's Persepolis FC, one of the country's established football clubs.
He oversaw 16 matches during his time with the Iranian side before later being named Fenerbahce's new head coach.
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