Pressure mounts on Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal as crucial run begins

Fenerbahçe ended an 18-year wait to return to the UEFA Champions League, but its poor start in the Süper Lig has quickly overshadowed that achievement. After taking the lead against Beşiktaş at home, the team lost 2-1 in the fourth week of the league.

The result and the performance have triggered strong disappointment among supporters. The second-half display in particular raised questions about İsmail Kartal’s approach, with pressure building around the coach earlier than expected.

Fenerbahçe had lost only twice in 34 league matches last season, when José Mourinho, Domenico Tedesco and Zeki Murat Göle shared coaching duties. Under Kartal, the team has already suffered two defeats after four league rounds.

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The squad is good, there is no problem with the squad. We need to work harder. There is a player called Mert Müldür. Why are we not making use of him?

Following the derby, Aziz Yıldırım criticized the use of the squad. “The squad is good, there is no problem with the squad. We need to work harder. There is a player called Mert Müldür. Why are we not making use of him?” he said.

Captain Milan Škriniar also criticized the team’s performance. “We gave the opponent too much space, we played too openly. We need to be better. We must stay compact. We also need to create more solutions offensively,” he said.

Kartal now faces a decisive stretch before the international break. Fenerbahçe will host AS Roma in its first Champions League match on Thursday, then travel to Gaziantep before welcoming Eyüpspor. The results could prove critical to Kartal’s future.

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We gave the opponent too much space, we played too openly. We need to be better. We must stay compact. We also need to create more solutions offensively.