27.08.2026 09:52
Ismail Kartal, who carried Fenerbahce to the Champions League with a 2-1 victory away at Lyon, reacted harshly to criticism directed at him after the match. Kartal said, 'You cannot support Fenerbahce by lynching and discrediting me,' and added, 'Soon I will name, one by one, who is a true Fenerbahce supporter and who is not, so our fans will know. This is not what being a Fenerbahce supporter means!'
Fenerbahce defeated Olympique Lyon 2-1 away in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round and advanced to the league stage of the Champions League.
Following the critical victory, head coach Ismail Kartal drew attention not only for the achievement but also for his strong words regarding the criticism directed at him.
"I WILL NAME THEM ONE BY ONE"
Ismail Kartal made a striking statement by reacting harshly to some people who criticized him using Fenerbahce loyalty. Kartal said, "Who is a real Fenerbahce fan and who is not, I will soon name them one by one, let our supporters know. Being a Fenerbahce fan is not like this!"
"YOU DON'T SUPPORT FENERBAHCE BY LYNCHING ME"
Kartal, who argued that the criticism towards him sometimes crossed the line, said, "Efforts to discredit us... I have never spoken about any of my colleagues on television. Tomorrow they could be here too. I have my own world and I try to live with honesty and honor. You don't support Fenerbahce by lynching me or discrediting me! Give support. Tomorrow you will be here."
"THOSE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO UNDERSTAND LYNCHED US"
Stating that he trusted his team and game plan, Kartal said after the victory against Lyon, "Those who wanted to understand, understood; those who didn't want to understand lynched us, but it doesn't matter. We knew we would go to the Champions League. We were not afraid! We played courageously."
REPROACH TO FORMER FOOTBALLERS
Kartal, stating that the harsh criticism, especially from former footballers, upset him, said, "Sometimes there are extremely harsh criticisms, and I get upset especially when I hear them from our former footballer friends and brothers. If they were by my side, I wonder how they would feel if they heard these? Never mind, what can we do? This is our profession!"
"WE ACHIEVED THIS TOGETHER"
Ismail Kartal also emphasized the intense work behind the success, concluding, "Day and night, I think about how to make Fenerbahce play better football. In moments when we weren't working, we sent our colleagues abroad and always reset ourselves, renewed ourselves. The players believe in us and trust us. We achieved this together."