17.08.2026 21:10
Ismail Kartal, who started the league poorly, will have the result he gets in the Champions League play-off round decisive for his future from now on. A possible elimination could make Kartal a target.
Fenerbahce, who started the season with the goal of both winning the championship and qualifying for the Champions League group stage, faced unexpected reactions after the defeat against Gençlerbirliği in the first week of the league.
ROTATION PROVED COSTLY
This defeat, which came after the successful results in the Champions League qualifying rounds, raised question marks in the yellow-navy community. Technical director İsmail Kartal, who could not prevent the defeat by fielding a rotated squad away from home, took full responsibility for the match. The experienced coach, stating that he wanted to rest his key players before the critical European match against Lyon, apologized to the fans for the defeat.
CRITICAL MATCH FOR İSMAİL KARTAL
While a challenging process awaits Fenerbahce in the Champions League play-off round, the upcoming Lyon matchup holds a critical "test exam" nature for İsmail Kartal. It is of great importance for the yellow-navy team to overcome the Lyon hurdle in order to end their 17-year longing for the Devils' League.
WHEN IS THE MATCH?
Fenerbahce will host France's Olympique Lyon in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round on Tuesday, August 18. The match at Chobani Stadium will start at 22:00. The match will be officiated by Sven Jablonski from the German Football Federation. Jablonski's assistants will be Aduard Beitinger and Eric Müller.