Kuyt named Fenerbahçe interim coach before Liverpool tie
Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt takes interim charge after Ismail Kartal resigned. His first games are Göztepe in the league, then Liverpool in the Champions League on 4 November.
By TuSport Desk · 28 Oct 2026, 11:10 WAT
Fenerbahçe have appointed Dirk Kuyt as interim coach of the first team until a new head coach is named, the club said in an official statement on Wednesday 28 October.
Kuyt steps up after working as assistant to Ismail Kartal. Kartal resigned following Fenerbahçe's 2-1 defeat by Galatasaray on Monday, BBC Sport and Reuters report.
The club said Kuyt will hold the post until a new head coach is determined. His first match is a Super Lig game against Göztepe on Saturday. Fenerbahçe then host Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday 4 November (17:45 GMT / 18:45 WAT), BBC Sport reports.
Kuyt won the Turkish league with Fenerbahçe as a player in 2013-14. He earlier spent six years at Liverpool, winning the League Cup in 2012. He joined Fenerbahçe as assistant coach in June 2026 after managerial spells at ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht.
Fenerbahçe are fifth in the Super Lig, six points behind leaders Galatasaray, according to BBC Sport.
Sources: www.fenerbahce.org · www.bbc.com · www.devdiscourse.com
