Kartal resigns at a press conference following the draw with Roma: “No questions”
What happened at the press conference following the Champions League group stage opener 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 am resigning. I don’t want any questions. I am resigning so that my club can manage the team better. I am resigning 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 Genclerbirligi and Italiano’s Besiktas.
Gasperini’s press conference was decidedly more business-as-usual: “We played a good game; it wasn’t easy under these circumstances and in this atmosphere. 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 is what we needed to reach our goals in the standings.”
“The substitutions? I’d say Balerdi and Molina came on well—it wasn’t easy. Rodrigo Mora could have done a bit more in the space between the lines, and then De Roon came on late in the game when we needed to secure the result. This year, everyone has the right approach in that regard.”
