Former Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt has been appointed Fenerbahce's interim coach just a week before they face his former club Liverpool in the Champions League. The 46-year-old steps up after assistant Ismail Kartal resigned following a 2-1 defeat by arch-rivals Galatasaray.
Fenerbahce confirmed Kuyt, who won the Turkish league title with the club as a player in 2013-14, will hold the post until a new head coach is appointed. His first game in charge is a league match against Goztepe on Saturday before hosting Liverpool in a Champions League group stage tie on Wednesday, 4 November (17:45 GMT).
Kuyt spent six years at Liverpool, winning the League Cup in 2012 and scoring 71 goals in 285 appearances. He later played three years for Fenerbahce before retiring in 2017. He held managerial roles at ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht before joining Fenerbahce as assistant in June 2026.
Kartal had previously resigned in September but remained after his departure was not accepted. Kuyt takes charge with Fenerbahce fifth in the Turkish top-flight, six points behind leaders Galatasaray.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing