JPL
Fenerbahçe lose former Kartal assistant Dirk Kuyt
Under the lights of the Şükrü Saracoğlu stadium, Romelu Lukaku noticed that Fenerbahçe had just welcomed a new coach after the departure of Ismail Kartal. This change marks the second upheaval of the club’s technical direction in less than a month.
A brief interim and farewells
Ismail Kartal left the position of technical director, paving the way for the arrival of his successor. The former assistant of Ismail Kartal, Dirk Kuyt, who had covered the interim, also left the club. After Kartal’s departure, the 46‑year‑old Dutchman had briefly taken the reins of Fenerbahçe as interim coach.
During his interim, Dirk Kuyt, known in Belgium as Beerschot coach, oversaw two matches before being replaced by Emre Belözoglu on the Istanbul club’s bench.
“Thank you, Dirk Kuyt! Our yellow‑and‑blue story began many years ago and the bond that unites us has never broken. You first defended the colours on the pitch, before doing so from the side of the grass. Your love for the club and your loyalty have earned you a special place in the hearts of all Fenerbahçe supporters.”
“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you have given to this club. Today, paths diverge, but your place within this great family will never change. Sometimes, a goodbye is not a final farewell, but simply a sign of a bond that will endure forever.”Dirk Kuyt arrived last summer as assistant coach to Ismail Kartal at Fenerbahçe.
Before this role, he had managed FC Dordrecht in the Netherlands and Beerschot, which he had led from the Challenger Pro League to the Jupiler Pro League. As a player, Dirk Kuyt wore the Fenerbahçe shirt 130 times, scoring 37 goals and providing 28 assists between 2012 and 2015.