Fenerbahce insist Kartal remains in charge despite his resignation, leaving Greenwood in limbo

Fenerbahce issued a blunt public statement on Friday insisting that head coach Ismail Kartal “is still in his position”, directly contradicting the manager’s own resignation announcement made less than 24 hours earlier. The club confirmed Kartal would take training ahead of their upcoming Gaziantep FK fixture, effectively refusing to accept his departure.

The crisis began on Thursday night when Kartal stepped up to the microphone after Fenerbahce’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma and announced he was leaving. “I am resigning from my position while there is still time,” he told reporters. “I made this decision to pave the way for my club.” He also revealed he had been struck by a water bottle thrown from the stands during the match, pointing to the hostile atmosphere that had built around the team’s poor domestic form.

Club president Aziz Yildirim moved quickly to block the exit. “Ismail Kartal is still in charge,” Yildirim said in a statement published on the club’s official website. “The club should support our coach. Until I leave, Ismail Kartal is the head coach of Fenerbahce.” Friday’s club communication reinforced that position word for word.

The standoff has cast a shadow over former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, 24, who joined Fenerbahce from Marseille this summer. Greenwood has already endured a turbulent start to life in Istanbul, with the club sitting ninth in the Turkish top-flight — a significant underperformance relative to expectations.

Kartal, 65, is on his fourth spell as Fenerbahce manager, having first taken charge in 2014 when he won the Turkish Super Cup. As a player he won two league titles with the club. His latest return, however, has been marked by inconsistent results and mounting pressure from supporters and media alike — pressure Yildirim publicly criticised in his response to the resignation.

English full-back Archie Brown was among the players caught off guard by the manager’s announcement, reportedly learning of the resignation only when approached for a reaction. With Kartal now apparently remaining in post against his own stated wishes, the atmosphere inside the club remains deeply unsettled.