Dirk Kuyt has been appointed interim coach of Fenerbahçe a week before the Turkish club are set to face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.
The former Reds star was formerly the assistant coach to Ismail Kartal, who resigned as manager of Fenerbahçe following their 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday.
Kartal, who was appointed manager of Fenerbahçe for the fourth time in 2026, had attempted to step down as manager in September but his initial resignation was rejected.
Defeat at Rams Park left Fenerbahçe fifth in Turkey's top-flight, six points adrift of Galatasaray who returned to the top of the table.
Kuyt's first match will be against Goztepe on Saturday before Fenerbahçe host Liverpool in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The former Netherlands forward spent six years at Anfield after joining from Feyenoord in 2006, scoring 71 goals in 285 appearances for the Reds and helping the club lift the League Cup trophy in 2012.
Kuyt subsequently moved to Fenerbahçe in the summer of that year and spent three years with the Turkish giants, where he won the league title in 2014. The 2006 Dutch Footballer of the Year then returned to Feyenoord in 2015 where he won the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup before hanging up his boots in 2017.
Kuyt then ventured into coaching and has had managerial spells with ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht. His stint with Beerschot was most fruitful, leading the club to the Belgian Challenger Pro League title in 2024.
He was announced as Kartal's assistant at Fenerbahçe in June after Domenico Tedesco was relieved of his duties.
Fenerbahçe spent lavishly in the summer with over €100 million splashed on the arrivals of Mason Greenwood, Romelu Lukaku, Vedat Muriqi, and Nathan Ake as the club attempts to win a first league title in 13 years.
