I will never go back; Took Fenerbahçe to the Champions League after 18 years, drew with Roma and resigned

Anything is possible in football-hot Turkey, even for the coach of a team that returned to the Champions League after 18 years to resign.

Ismail Kartal is no longer Fenerbahçe's head coach. The experienced expert announced that he is leaving the Turkish giants' bench after a 1-1 draw with Roma in the first round of the Champions League.

Kartal announced his decision after the game, during which he was hit in the head with a plastic bottle, but he did not want to talk about it. He only thanked the players, saying that it was time for change.

"I want to congratulate my players and announce that as of tonight I am no longer the team's coach," Kartal said, according to Turkish media.

He added that he made the decision after discussing it with his closest associates.

"I am resigning while there is still time to help my beloved Fenerbahçe, the players and future coaches. I am announcing that I will never return," Kartal stressed.

The 65-year-old coach took over Fenerbahçe in June of this year, and during his fourth term in charge of the Istanbul club, he achieved significant success by qualifying for the main stage of the Champions League, for the first time since the 2008/09 season.

At the same time, Fenerbahçe's management hopes to convince Kartal to change its decision.