Aykut Kocaman Returns Home: The Structure at Fenerbahçe Will Take Shape Next Week

Aziz Yıldırım's new management took the first step in the football structure by bringing Oğuz Çetin, whom he introduced as his "football mind" during the election process, to the foreground. The president had announced that Çetin would take the head of the club's football structure at the meeting he held at the Sakarya Fenerbahçe Association before the election. In the statement Çetin made to Sky Sports after the election, he emphasised Yıldırım's leadership and used the expressions "Fenerbahçe needed a leader for many years. And this leader is Aziz Yıldırım." Çetin also said in the same statement that their duties have not yet become official and that they would organise to become champion within one year in unity and togetherness. This structure under Çetin's coordination is shaping around the goal of ending the championship longing the club has experienced for many years.

Aykut Kocaman is at the top of the agenda in the manager position. According to NTV Spor, Aziz Yıldırım, Oğuz Çetin and the board members united on the name Kocaman in the manager preference. In the last stage of the process, Yıldırım is expected to hold a face-to-face meeting with Kocaman and then make the official announcement. According to Türkiye Gazetesi's news, although contact continues with foreign managers, the preference of Aykut Kocaman, one of the club's symbol names, stands out as a high probability. Kocaman's past with Fenerbahçe covers both his playing and coaching periods; Kocaman, who wore the yellow-and-navy jersey between 1989-1995, is remembered as one of the club's legendary top scorers. As a manager, he had taken charge at Fenerbahçe twice, in 2010-2011 and 2016-2018.

The two names who will undertake Aykut Kocaman's assistant role have also largely become clear. It was stated that an agreement in principle was reached with former Dutch star Dirk Kuyt. Aziz Yıldırım had made the statement "I also sent word to Kuyt, and he informed us 'I will come'" for Kuyt. A positive response also came from Volkan Demirel's side. Yıldırım shared his phone conversation with Demirel with the public with the words "I said 'If I am elected, I want you to be in office too.' He said 'OK'." While it is conveyed that persuasion rounds are continuing rapidly for the two names to join the technical squad, Volkan Demirel's goalkeeping background at Fenerbahçe and the leadership quality he brings to the team, and Kuyt's experience in European football stand out as elements determining the profile of the new technical staff.

Aziz Yıldırım's new management made a quick start not only in the manager position but also in the transfer policy. The yellow-and-navy management, which aims for absolute championship in the new period, is turning to famous striker names to increase productivity in the goal ways. Vedat Muriqi stood out as one of the names on the agenda. Yıldırım had promised "We will make the necessary reinforcements" in the message he gave to fans before the presidential election, and had given information to congress members and fans about both the football structure and transfer plans. With the official announcement expected to be made next week, the new period at Fenerbahçe shaped with Aykut Kocaman as manager, Dirk Kuyt and Volkan Demirel as assistants, Oğuz Çetin at the head of the football structure, and Aziz Yıldırım as president, will lay the foundations of the club's 2026-27 season structure.

Image: milliyet.com.tr