Fourth İsmail Kartal Era Begins with Championship Target in the 120th Year

Fenerbahçe Sports Club has resolved the highly anticipated managerial puzzle that has occupied the football world for a long time. Following the re-election of Aziz Yıldırım as president, the yellow-navy blues handed over the managerial seat to İsmail Kartal, one of the most trusted names in the community. It was officially reported to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) that a one-year contract covering the 2026-2027 season has been signed with the experienced coach.

While Aykut Kocaman was highly expected to take the position during the election process, the choice of İsmail Kartal after the board of directors meeting came as a major surprise to the sports public. Thus, the experienced manager steps into his 4th term at the helm of the yellow-navy blues, following his previous tenures in 2014-2015, 2022, and 2023-2024. In his last spell at Fenerbahçe, İsmail Kartal achieved an impressive average of 2.40 points per match over 58 games, finishing the Süper Lig in second place with 99 points.

Making emotional statements on FBTV regarding his appointment, Kartal said: "Even our esteemed president Aziz Yıldırım calling me yesterday and saying 'how are you, my son' made me very emotional. As a son of this community, I promise to do my absolute best not to disappoint anyone. We owe a championship to our fans, which we somehow couldn't deliver yet. In my three previous terms, they took two of our championships away from us! I believe we will become champions this year. If the match is on Sunday, we will win it by Saturday."

In the new organizational structure, former star player Dirk Kuyt has been appointed as İsmail Kartal's assistant, while Oğuz Çetin takes on the role of football director. Starting the new season preparations without delay, the club stated: "On this path that our club has set out with the goal of a championship in its 120th year; our Technical Director İsmail Kartal, who stands out with his experience, character, and sense of belonging, has started his duty at Fenerbahçe Samandıra Can Bartu Facilities." Following medical checks on June 22-23, the team will begin Champions League preparations with camps in Topuk Yaylası and Austria.

Image: Fenerbahce.org