Hoezo chaos erupts at Fenerbahçe after coach quits, Lukaku watches

Under the floodlights of Istanbul’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, a stunned crowd watched Fenerbahçe secure a 1‑1 draw with AS Roma before the club descended into chaos as coach Ismail Kartal announced his resignation, a claim the chairman later denied, while Romelu Lukaku lingered on the bench until the 72nd minute.

Coach's sudden resignation fuels confusion

Minutes after the final whistle, Kartal addressed the media, saying: “Vanavond feliciteer ik mijn spelers en treed ik af als trainer van Fenerbahçe. Met onmiddellijke ingang. Met de voorwaarde dat ik nooit meer terugkeer.” His abrupt departure left the squad bewildered.

Chairman Aziz Yildirim later issued a contradictory statement, insisting “Ismail is nog steeds onze coach, maar onze fans moeten hem steunen. Hij zegt dat er uit de tribune een waterfles naar zijn hoofd is gegooid. Dat is de reden dat hij wil vertrekken.” The denial added to the surreal atmosphere.

Match timeline and Lukaku's cameo

The first Doelpunt arrived in the 39th minute when Bryan Cristante struck, putting Roma ahead. Earlier, Dybala had threatened from a sharp angle but could not convert.

Archie Brown equalised in the 48th minute, restoring parity. The match also saw Geel cards issued to Devyne Rensch in the 47th minute and to Archie Brown in the 51st minute, with further cautions to Kerem Aktürkoglu, Mert Müldür and Ismail Yüksek later on.

Rom entered the fray in the 72nd minute, replacing a teammate and receiving twenty minutes of play, but could not alter the scoreline. The game finished as a fair point‑sharing result.

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