"Did I become a manager for this?" Hit by a water bottle thrown by spectators, he suddenly resigns... Fenerbahçe fans spoil the UCL celebration after 18 years

*This content was translated by AI.

Fenerbahçe of Turkey's top-flight Süper Lig, manager Ismail Kartal (65), suddenly announced his resignation after being hit on the head by a water bottle thrown from the stands during a match.

On the 11th (Korea time), Fenerbahçe drew 1-1 against AS Roma in their first home match of the League Phase of the '2026–2027 UEFA Champions League (UCL)' at Çobani Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. It was their return to the UCL main tournament after 18 years.

However, while praising his players after the match, Manager Kartal declared during the press conference that he was resigning for the future of the club and would never return to Turkey. The sudden decision came as a complete surprise even to the squad; player Archie Brown expressed shock, saying he had "no idea at all."

Manager Kartal took charge for the fourth time in his career last June and had garnered high expectations upon his return in May, receiving welcome banners from fans calling him "the son of Fenerbahçe." However, after recording two wins and two losses in the first four matches of the regular season and suffering a defeat against rival Beşiktaş, he faced intense pressure, including calls from fans for his dismissal.

Although it is difficult to definitively label the situation as poor performance, the physical violence of being hit on the head by a water bottle thrown by a spectator during today's match appears to have pushed his disappointment to its peak.

Fenerbahçe President Aziz Yıldırım immediately rejected the resignation. In a statement, Yıldırım criticized the fickle attitudes of those around him, saying, "Fans celebrate our UCL qualification on social media (SNS) or TV, only to turn around and criticize us, while some commentators accuse the club of betrayal."

He also urged an end to the daily flood of fake news about managerial changes, reaffirming his confidence in Kartal: "We will win the championship in May, and Manager Kartal will continue to lead the team until I leave." The club has identified the spectator who threw the water bottle and issued a ban from entering the stadium.

Meanwhile, recently in Turkey, Trabzonspor manager Fatih Tekke announced his resignation immediately after being eliminated from the Europa League (UEL), only for the club to initially reject it before later accepting it—a similar managerial resignation incident occurred.

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*This content was translated by AI.