Fenerbahce Appoint Kuyt As Interim Head Coach

Fenerbahce have appointed former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt as interim head coach after Ismail Kartal resigned, the Turkish club confirmed on Wednesday.

Kuyt, 46, had been serving as Kartal’s assistant and will remain in charge until Fenerbahce appoint a permanent head coach. The club turned to the Dutchman after Kartal stepped down following Monday’s 2-1 league defeat by rivals Galatasaray, a result that left Fenerbahce fifth in the Turkish top flight, six points behind the leaders.

Kuyt’s first match in charge is scheduled for Saturday, when Fenerbahce face Goztepe in league action. Four days later, on Wednesday, November 4, Fenerbahce host Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League at 17:45 GMT, a fixture that will reunite Kuyt with the club he represented for six years.

Kuyt scored 71 goals in 285 appearances for Liverpool and helped the club win the League Cup in 2012 before leaving Anfield. He later spent three seasons at Fenerbahce, winning the Turkish league title in 2013-14, and also played for Feyenoord before retiring in 2017.

After retiring, Kuyt moved into management and took charge of ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht. He joined Fenerbahce as an assistant coach in June 2026. During his playing career, he won 104 caps for the Netherlands.

Kartal had submitted his resignation in September, but the club did not accept it at the time, allowing him to remain in charge until his latest departure.

Kuyt now faces the immediate challenge of improving Fenerbahce’s domestic form while preparing the team for a difficult Champions League encounter against his former club.