In the aftermath of the Istanbul derby, there has been a regime change at Fenerbahce, with manager Ismail Kartal handing in his resignation.
In his place, former Liverpool winger Dirk Kuyt has been promoted to become the interim manager while the club works on a substantive appointment.
Kuyt served as an assistant to Kartal, having joined the staff of the Turkish tactician in the summer. The Dutchman will now be charged with managing the squad full of stars, such as Romelu Lukaku, N'Golo Kante, Ederson, Mason Greenwood, Nathan Ake, Matteo Guendouzi, Milan Skriniar, and Vedat Muriqi at one of Turkiye's biggest clubs.
Why Ismail Kartal resigned as Fenerbahce manager
To understand Ismail Kartal's departure, one must realise that this has been a tumultuous period for the Istanbul giants, judging by their recent results.
A humiliating 6-0 away defeat to Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League, paired with a bitter 2-1 derby loss to rivals Galatasaray, left Fenerbahce languishing fifth in the Super Lig standings.
They have won just one of their last four games, and the sole victory came against Alanyaspor nearly two weeks ago.
Since then, they have been held to a 2-2 draw at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium by Slavia Prague in the Champions League and lost to Galatasaray in the league.
Facing escalating scrutiny from the board and supporters, Kartal tendered his resignation, prompting the club executive committee to act swiftly by elevating Kuyt from his role as assistant manager.
Dirk Kuyt faces a potential Liverpool reunion with Fenerbahce
For former Netherlands international Kuyt, stepping into the head coaching hotseat sets up an extraordinary narrative in European football.
Having scored 71 goals in 285 appearances for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012 before winning the Super Lig title as a player with Fenerbahce in 2014, the Dutchman is now slated to lead the Turkish side against his former club.
Both sides will lock horns in the next Champions League matchday on Wednesday, November 4, at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, offering Kuyt an immediate baptism of fire on the grandest stage.
Kuyt was on the books of the Turkish giants for three years, but is most fondly remembered for his time at Anfield, where he scored in the 2007 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan.
His first game in charge will be against Goztepe on Saturday, and he will hope to deliver all three points against a side occupying a place in the bottom half of the standings.
Dirk Kuyt's managerial career: From Feyenoord to Fenerbahce
In 2018, Kuyt began his coaching education within his beloved Feyenoord, managing the club's U-18/U-19 youth setup for two years.
He joined ADO Den Haag in June 2022 and lasted just five months before he was sacked with the team in 17th place after 16 rounds of matches.
From there, he joined Belgian second division side Beerschot VA in 2023 as head coach, guiding them to the top-flight as second division champions at the end of the season.
They finished bottom of the Jupiler Pro League in his second season in charge, resulting in their relegation back to the second division and Kuyt's departure from the club in 2025.
He immediately returned to his homeland to take charge of FC Dordrecht, where he worked briefly before moving to Turkiye in the summer.
