And the 65-year-old coach confirmed what had been expected by making his departure official during a press conference.
The "problem" is that the Fener president disagreed, insisting that he remains in charge.
Kartal had already been a "main character" during the match after being hit by a bottle thrown by a club supporter — who was later identified.
The first post-match surprise came when he announced that he was leaving.
"I handed in my resignation tonight. I made this decision to clear the way for my club. I resign with the intention of never coming back. Good night, everyone," he said.
The news caught the club’s own players by surprise.That was the case for Archie Brown, scorer of Fener’s goal against the Italian side.
Then came president Aziz Yıldırım insisting that İsmail Kartal will remain in charge. He blamed, for example, the pressure from the fans on the coach."I just spoke with İsmail Kartal. Until I stop, İsmail Kartal is the coach, manager, whatever you want to call it. Until I leave, he cannot leave here! He said he feels the pressure. 'I take medication,' he said. I take 30 medications too"
Kartal is in his fourth spell in charge of Fener.He had already managed the club in 2014/2015, in 2002, and between 2023 and 2024, in addition to spells as an assistant.
The current period began in June this year.
Fener eliminated Górnik Zabrze, Sturm Graz and Lyon to secure a place in the Champions League proper, something that had not happened since the 2008/2009 season.
The start in the Süper Lig has not been the best, as the team has taken six of a possible 12 points.
Rivals Galatasaray, the reigning four-time champions, lead the way with ten.
Fenerbahçe invested heavily for this season. Greenwood (€39 million), Chérif (€18 million), Muriqi (€15.5 million), Oppong (€12 million), Aké (€8.1 million) and Lukaku (€6 million) arrived.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence.
