Ismail Kartal back in Fenerbahce dugout after club rejects resignation | OneFootball

Ismail Kartal returned to work as Fenerbahce manager on Saturday after the club rejected his resignation in the wake of Thursday’s 1-1 draw with AS Roma. He had walked out post match and skipped Friday’s training.

Fenerbahce said in a statement on Friday that he would remain in charge of the first team. Club channels then published photos on Saturday morning of Kartal leading training, dismissing reports that crisis talks with official Oguz Cetin had collapsed.

In the immediate aftermath, he praised his players for carrying out instructions and said they produced football worthy of the Champions League, with clear chances to win. He expressed pride in the squad, then announced he was resigning from his post and would not return, thanking his players.

President Aziz Yildirim subsequently defended him and ruled out the resignation at a separate press conference. He cited a water bottle thrown from the stands and fierce social media abuse as reasons for Kartal’s distress, adding that he told the coach he would continue.

Attention now turns to the Super Lig, with Fenerbahce hosting Gaziantep FK on Monday night. Kartal is under pressure to lift domestic form, with his side 11th in the 18-team table. Securing three points is imperative if they are to ease internal tensions and win back frustrated supporters.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”