Liverpool will travel to Turkey to face Fenerbahce in the Champions League next week Wednesday.
Liverpool are preparing to face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round at Anfield on Wednesday night. Andoni Iraola’s side made it four consecutive wins in all competitions with a 2-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday.
A Pascal Groß own goal and a close-range finish from Alexander Isak settled the contest in the first half, securing Liverpool’s first Premier League home win of the season.
The result lifted the Reds to fourth in the table, two points above fifth-placed Chelsea. After Wednesday’s cup tie, Liverpool will host defending Premier League champions Arsenal before travelling to Turkey to face Fenerbahce in the Champions League, where they will look to make it four wins from four games.
Ahead of that European fixture, Fenerbahce announced on Tuesday that head coach Ismail Kartal had stepped down following discussions with the club’s management.
The announcement came a day after the Turkish Super Lig side suffered a 2-1 derby defeat to arch-rivals Galatasaray in the league’s ninth round.
A club statement read: “Our Head Coach, İsmail Kartal, has informed our management of his decision to resign, and following discussions, this decision has been evaluated with mutual understanding and respect.
“We thank İsmail Kartal for his efforts, dedication, and commitment to Fenerbahçe. We wish him success in his future career.”
The 65-year-old returned for his fourth spell as head coach in June, signing a one-year contract for the 2026/27 season. He guided Fenerbahce back to the UEFA Champions League’s main stage for the first time since the 2008/09 campaign.
Kartal had previously announced his resignation following a 1-1 Champions League draw against Serie A club AS Roma on September 10.
“I have been here three months. From the beginning of the season until today, the training sessions and camps we held with the players, and the efforts of our president, have been very helpful. Those were wonderful days,” Kartal said.
“As of this evening, I congratulate my players and resign from my position. I made this decision to pave the way for my club. We made this decision together as a team.
“From now on, to help Fenerbahce, my players and future coaches, I have resigned from my position, with the intention of never returning.”
However, club president Aziz Yildirim rejected the decision, and Fenerbahce subsequently confirmed he would remain in charge.
Yildirim said in a statement released on Fenerbahce’s website: “Ismail Kartal is still in charge. The club should support our coach. Until I leave, Ismail Kartal is the head coach of Fenerbahce.”
Kartal won the Turkish Super Cup in 2014 during his first spell as manager, having previously spent four years as an assistant coach. As a player, he won two league titles and six trophies overall with Fenerbahce.
Kamuoyuna Duyuru https://t.co/OBQus4dmii
— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce) October 27, 2026
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