Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal left his players stunned after he announced his resignation in a post-match press conference just moments after the club ended the game in a draw. Fenerbahce played against the Turkish club Roma in a Turkish Super Lig game on Thursday, September 10, that ended in a 1-1 draw. Fenerbahce coach Kartal had served the club as a player while appearing in more than 250 games and also as an assistant coach.

He assumed the role of manager in June 2026 which helped the club make a comeback to the Champions League for the first time in 18 years. The heartbroken Kartal, 65, while speaking in a post-match press conference, announced that he was leaving "never to return" after overseeing Fenerbahce's first Champions League game in 18 years on Thursday night. "From now on, to help Fenerbahce, my players and future coaches, I have resigned from my position, with the intention of never returning," said Kartal.

The Istanbul side managed to score a goal against Roma credited to English-born defender Archie Brown, who netted the goal in the second half. Earlier, Roma's Bryan Cristante netted the ball in the first-half to make 1-0. Soon after Kartal made the surprise announcement, it left players stunned, asking the club's press officer to seek clarification.

The situation was further complicated when Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim told reporters that he would not be accepting the resignation and that he "continues in his role." "Some fans threw a bottle at the coach's head this evening during the game. He is upset about it," Yildirim offered the reason why Kartal announced his resignation. "I just spoke to Ismail Kartal.

He mentioned the bottle incident and he also complained about being under pressure," Yildirim added. Kartal, who took charge of the Turkish club Fenerbahce in June, returned for a fourth time, with the club winning two of their first four Turkish Super Lig matches.