Kuyt appointed interim Fenerbahçe coach after Kartal resigns

Fenerbahçe has appointed Dirk Kuyt as interim coach after İsmail Kartal resigned, putting the former Liverpool forward in charge ahead of a Champions League meeting with his old club on November 4. The Turkish club said on Wednesday that Kuyt would take technical responsibility for its first team until a new head coach is appointed. Kartal’s resignation followed Fenerbahçe’s 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray on Monday in the Turkish Super Lig. The club said it had accepted his decision to leave. Kuyt’s first match in charge is scheduled for this weekend against Göztepe. Fenerbahçe are due to host Liverpool in the Champions League on November 4, in what will be Kuyt’s first European match as interim coach. Kartal had previously sought to resign in September after a Champions League draw with Roma, but the club’s president did not accept his departure at that time, according to reports. The club’s latest announcement confirms that Kartal has now left the position; it did not give details of the earlier episode. The Galatasaray loss left Fenerbahçe six points behind the league leaders after nine matches, according to reports. The club is fifth in the table. In the Champions League,...