Fenerbahce coach Kartal’s resignation refused as bottles thrown in Roma tie

What the report says

Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal briefly announced he was stepping down after being hit by a water bottle thrown from the stands during his team’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Reuters and AFP. The incident happened during the match in Istanbul on Thursday, after which Kartal told reporters he wanted to leave to make room for the club.

Al Jazeera reported that Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim immediately rejected the resignation and said Kartal would remain in charge. Yildirim said he had spoken with the coach and that the club was treating the episode as an unacceptable act by a fan. Fenerbahce also said on social media that the person responsible had been identified and banned from the stadium.

Kartal, 65, is a long-time figure at the club, having played for Fenerbahce and returned for another managerial spell in June. The episode matters because it came during Fenerbahce’s return to the Champions League group phase after an 18-year absence, a season in which the Istanbul side is again under pressure to challenge domestically after several runner-up finishes in the Turkish league. More broadly, the incident highlights ongoing concerns about fan behavior and the strain on coaches in high-profile European matches.