Ismail Kartal is facing an uncertain future ahead of Fenerbahce’s UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool
The stadium logo and club crest on the main facade outside the stadium ahead of the Turkish Super League 2026/27 match played between Fenerbahce and Konyaspor, at the Chobani Stadium, Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Sports Complex in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 22, 2026.
The stadium logo and club crest on the main facade outside the stadium ahead of the Turkish Super League 2026/27 match played between Fenerbahce and Konyaspor, at the Chobani Stadium, Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Sports Complex in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 22, 2026.
Liverpool travel to Istanbul next month for a Champions League league phase match against Fenerbahce. The game takes place at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Wednesday 4 November.
Andoni Iraola’s side arrive with a perfect record in the competition. Liverpool have won all three matches and sit third in the 36-team table on nine points. They have scored 12 goals and conceded seven.
Their most recent European game was a high-scoring one. Liverpool won 6-3 at LASK on 14 October, then beat Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield six days later.
Domestic form has been less settled. Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League with 15 points from eight games, after a 0-3 home loss to Manchester City and a 2-0 win over Brighton on Sunday.
The picture is more complicated for their hosts.
According to reports from journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, the vast majority of Fenerbahce’s Board of Directors wants to part ways with head coach Ismail Kartal and continue the season with a foreign manager.
Reports claimed that after Monday’s derby that the split had been decided, but neither the club nor Kartal has verified this.
The reports follow a defeat in the Istanbul derby. Galatasaray won 2-1 at RAMS Park, with Victor Osimhen scoring both goals. Irfan Can Kahveci pulled one back for Fenerbahçe with a bicycle kick.
The result lifted Galatasaray to the top of the Super Lig on 22 points, while Fenerbahce stayed fifth on 16. Kartal apologised to supporters after the match and said Fenerbahçe could still win the league.
Kartal is in his fourth spell at the club. He signed a one-year contract on 18 June 2026.
His position has been questioned before. He announced his resignation after a 1-1 draw with AS Roma on 10 September. Following a four-hour board meeting, the club said he remained in charge, with president Aziz Yıldırım repeating his support.
Fenerbahce’s league form had improved before the derby. They won three straight league games without conceding, scoring 14 goals, a run that began with an 8-0 win over Eyupspor.
The Champions League has gone worse.
Fenerbahce sit 31st in the table with two points and a goal difference of minus six. They lost 6-0 at Aston Villa on 14 October and drew 2-2 with Slavia Prague six days later.
The Istanbul club will host Goztepe in the Super Lig on 31 October, four days before Liverpool arrive.
🚨 Fenerbahçe Yönetim Kurulu’ndaki büyük çoğunluk, İsmail Kartal ile yolların ayrılmasını ve sezona yabancı bir teknik direktörle devam edilmesini istiyor.
— Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (@yagosabuncuoglu) October 27, 2026
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.
GD Estoril Praia v SL Benfica - Primeira Liga Jose Mourinho, head coach of SL Benfica, during the Primeira Liga match between GD Estoril Praia and SL Benfica at Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota in Estoril, Portugal, on May 16, 2026. lisbon Portugal PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xValterxGouveiax originalFilename:gouveia-16052026260516_npHWH.jpg