Ismail Kartal remains the head coach of Fenerbahce, despite his announcement that he had resigned following Thursday's Champions League tie against Roma. The 65-year-old had stated his intention never to return to the club after the 1-1 home draw.
However, Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim later confirmed in a statement that he had not accepted Kartal's resignation. The club further affirmed on Friday that Kartal was still in charge, stating he would direct Saturday's training session in preparation for Monday's Turkish Super Lig game against Gaziantep FK.
Yildirim indicated that Kartal cited the "pressure" of the role and an incident during the match where he was struck by a bottle from the stands as reasons for his decision. The club also confirmed that a spectator involved in the bottle incident had been identified and banned from the stadium.