Fenerbahçe vs. Roma: Sensational Announcement at Press Conference
What happened at the press conference following the first matchday of the Champions League group stage between Fenerbahçe and Roma—which ended in a 1-1 draw—was nothing short of sensational. The home team’s coach, Ismail Kartal, resigned right there in front of the reporters: “I am stepping down from my position. I want to thank everyone; I’m stepping down. I don’t want any questions. I’m stepping down so my club can better manage the team. I’m stepping down to help the club and my players.”
The 65-year-old Turkish coach, who had previously led the Istanbul club during the 2014–2015 season and then from 2022 to 2024—in addition to holding various roles in the youth system and as an assistant coach— had just begun his third stint on the Fenerbahçe bench: after securing qualification for the Champions League—including a victory over Fonseca’s Lyon in the final round—he had posted a record of two wins and two losses in four league matches against Gençlerbirliği and Italiano’s Beşiktaş.
Gasperini’s press conference was decidedly more business-as-usual: “We played a good game; it wasn’t easy given the circumstances and the atmosphere here. Even though they were playing at home, they sat back a lot because they have strong players on the counterattack. Despite everything, we played a good game; this draw helps us reach our goals in the standings.”
“The substitutions? I’d say Balerdi and Molina came on strong—it wasn’t easy. Rodrigo Mora could have done a bit more between the lines, and then De Roon came on late in the game when we needed to secure the result. This year, everyone has taken the right approach in that regard.”
