We take a look at the contenders to be the next manager of Fenerbahce following the shock resignation of Ismail Kartal.
The 65-year-old informed the media that he was stepping down from his role after Fenerbahce's 1-1 draw with Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday.
However, Fenerbahce club president Aziz Yildirim has not accepted Kartal's resignation and intends to support his coach.
It is believed that the pressure of the role and an incident during the match where Kartal was struck by a bottle thrown from the stands were factors in the abrupt decision.
Kartal returned to Fenerbahce for a fourth time as manager in June and he looks set to depart with the club ninth in the Turkish Super Lig table.
Whilst Yildirim is refusing to give up on Kartal, here are our top five contenders to be the next Fenerbahce manager.
Next Fenerbahce Manager Contenders
Zeki Murat Göle
46-year-old Zeki Murat Göle is currently one of the assistant managers at Fenerbahce.
He has been a long-time assistant of Kartal and has also previously been on the coaching staff under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Domenico Tedesco and Jorge Jesus.
Göle has taken the reins on an interim basis several times and he may feel that the time is right to put his name forward as a permanent solution.
Aykut Kocaman
Aykut Kocaman spent over eight years at the club as a player, scoring a total of 140 league goals.
He has had two separate spells as the club's manager before and is still held in high regard.
The 2011 title-winner hasn't managed a team since leaving İstanbul Başakşehir in January 2021.
Dirk Kuyt
Former Fenerbahce striker Dirk Kuyt returned to the club in June as part of Kartal's backroom staff.
Kuyt has previous experience of managing in the Netherlands and Belgium, but the managerial hotseat at Fenerbahce would undoubtedly be a step up.
The Dutchman, who won over 100 caps for his country as a player, would be expected to recover from the club's underwhelming start and quickly be in a position to challenge rivals Galatasaray at the top of the table.
Roger Schmidt
German coach Roger Schmidt currently works as a Global Football Advisor for the J-League.
Schmidt has been out of work as a manager since being sacked by Benfica in August 2024.
He also has experience of working at the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and PSV, with the size of the job at Fenerbahce unlikely to daunt him.
Nuri Sahin
Former midfielder Nuri Sahin is currently the head coach at İstanbul Başakşehir.
He oversaw a fifth-placed finish in the Turkish Super Lig last season and secured European football.
The 38-year-old also has experience of managing Borussia Dortmund and is expected to have a long career in management.
