Overview
- İsmail Kartal stunned reporters by announcing his immediate resignation and saying he would 'never return' after Thursday's 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma.
- Minutes later club president Aziz Yıldırım publicly refused to accept the resignation and told Kartal to remain as head coach while he is president.
- Kartal was struck by a bottle thrown from the crowd during the match and the club said the spectator involved has been identified and banned from the stadium.
- Players and staff were taken by surprise by the announcement, with defender Archie Brown saying he had not been told about Kartal's decision during his own post-match interview.
- Kartal is in his fourth spell at the club and is contracted until June 2027, and the episode risks compounding pressure on a team carrying large summer signings and high expectations in both domestic and European competition.