Dirk Kuyt has been appointed as interim manager of Fenerbahce just a week before the club's Champions League group stage clash with Liverpool. The Dutchman takes over after Ismail Kartal resigned following a 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray on October 26.
Fenerbahce said Kuyt would take charge "until a new manager is appointed". He had been Kartal's assistant since June and will now lead the team in a period that includes two crucial matches in less than a week.
Kuyt's first match in charge of Fenerbahce will be a trip to Göztepe on October 31. On November 4, the team will host Liverpool in Istanbul in their fourth match of the main stage of the Champions League.
Fenerbahçe is in fifth place in the Turkish championship and is six points behind the leader Galatasaray. In the Champions League, the Turkish club has not yet won, having recorded two draws and one loss in its first three matches.
Kate played for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012. He recorded 285 matches and 71 goals for the English club, winning the League Cup and reaching the Champions League final in 2007.
After his stay at “Anfield“ the Dutchman spent three seasons at Fenerbahçe. He won the 2013/2014 season with the Turkish club, and in the summer of 2026 he returned to Istanbul as Kartal's assistant.
„Following the resignation of Ismail Kartal, the club has appointed Dirk Kuyt as head coach of the first team until a new head coach is appointed“, Fenerbahce said in a statement.Kuyt's first match in the European tournament will therefore be against the club he played for six years. Liverpool will visit Istanbul on November 4.