Dirk Kuyt has been appointed Fenerbahce’s interim coach just a week before the Turkish club face his former team Liverpool in the Champions League. The former Netherlands forward steps up from his role as assistant coach after Ismail Kartal resigned following Monday’s 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Galatasaray.
Dirk Kuyt (Credits: BBC Sport)
The 46-year-old Dutchman will hold the post “until a new head coach is appointed,” Fenerbahce confirmed. It is a remarkable twist of timing: Kuyt’s first Champions League test in the dugout will come against the club where he spent six memorable years as a player.
Dirk Kuyt’s First Games as Fenerbahce Interim Coach
Kuyt’s first match in charge will be a league fixture against Goztepe on Saturday. Then comes the headline occasion: Fenerbahce host Liverpool in a Champions League group-stage tie on Wednesday, November 4 at 17:45 GMT.
That fixture carries obvious emotional weight for Kuyt. He joined Liverpool in 2006 and went on to score 71 goals in 285 appearances for the Reds, winning the League Cup in 2012. His work rate and versatility made him a firm favourite at Anfield, and he remains fondly remembered by supporters there.
After leaving Liverpool, Kuyt spent three years at Fenerbahce, winning the Turkish league title with the club in 2013-14. He later returned to Feyenoord before retiring as a player in 2017.
From Assistant to Interim Boss After Kartal’s Exit
Kuyt’s coaching path has taken him through ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht before he returned to Fenerbahce as assistant coach in June 2026. Now, following Kartal’s departure, he has been handed the top job on an interim basis.
Kartal’s exit had been brewing. He had previously stepped down as manager in September, only for that resignation not to be accepted, leaving him to stay on. This time, after the Galatasaray defeat, the parting has gone through.
Kuyt inherits a side sitting fifth in the Turkish top flight, six points behind leaders Galatasaray. The immediate task is to steady the team domestically while preparing for one of the biggest nights of the club’s season against Liverpool.
For Kuyt, the Liverpool tie is more than a fixture — it is a reunion. But sentiment will count for little once the whistle blows. As interim boss, he has a short window to prove he can steady Fenerbahce and give them a fighting chance in Europe.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
