Fenerbahçe have now accepted the departure of head coach Ismail Kartal, Turkish media reported on Friday afternoon. The club could not change the manager's mind, so Dirk Kuijt has taken charge of the squad as interim coach for now.
Kartal sparked major surprise on Thursday evening after the Champions League match against AS Roma. Fenerbahçe drew 1-1, then the coach announced his resignation completely unexpectedly during the press conference.
Just beforehand, Kartal had warmly congratulated his players. "Tonight I congratulate my players and I resign. I want to thank our supporters, the media, my staff and my players for all the support I have received so far," he said.
The coach said he had taken his decision in the interests of the Turkish giants. "I have taken this decision to clear the way for my club. We took this decision together as a team," said Kartal, who also made it clear that he did not want to return as Fenerbahçe coach.
Chairman Aziz Yildirim initially refused to accept Kartal's departure. "He remains our coach and I told him that as well. We will continue together, we are like a family. Until I leave, he will remain the head coach," the president said after the surprise announcement.
By Friday, though, a return for Kartal looked increasingly unlikely. The coach did not appear at training and, according to journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, had switched off his phones and could not be reached by the club's board, so Kuijt led the session alongside Zeki Göle.
Turkish media now say Fenerbahçe have accepted that Kartal is leaving. The club's board are said to have tried to convince him to stay, but without success, leaving Kuijt in charge of the first team for the time being.
Next up, Kuijt will prepare the first team for the upcoming league match away to Gaziantep on Monday.