Dirk Kuyt appointed interim Fenerbahce manager to set up Liverpool reunion
Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has been appointed the interim manager of Fenerbahce, one week before they face the Reds in the Champions League.
Fenerbahce lost 2-1 to fierce rivals Galatasaray in an ill-tempered Super Lig clash on Monday, prompting head coach Ismail Kartal’s resignation on Tuesday night.
The club have now appointed Kuyt, who was Kartal’s assistant, as his replacement “until a new head coach is appointed”.
The 46-year-old will take charge of his first domestic game this weekend against Goztepe with his side currently fifth in the table, before welcoming his ex-club Liverpool to Istanbul in the Champions League.
Kuyt spent six years at Liverpool, scoring 71 goals in 285 appearances on his way to becoming an Anfield fan favourite.
The Dutchman won the League Cup with Liverpool in 2012 and finished as the club’s top scorer in two seasons, bagging an unmatched 12 in his debut campaign in 2006/07 before spearheading a season revival under Kenny Dalglish in 2010/11 with a tally of 13, including a famous hat-trick against Manchester United.
Kuyt also spent a three-year stint at Fenerbahce as a player, winning the Super Lig and the Turkish Cup, before returning for a second spell at Dutch club Feyenoord to end his career, where he helped deliver a first Eredivisie title since in 18 years in 2017.
He earned 104 caps for the Netherlands, starting in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain, scoring 24 goals during a 10-year international career.
Kuyt held managerial posts at ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht before becoming an assistant coach at Fenerbahce in June 2026.
His tenure as assistant has come during tumultuous times at Fenerbahce, with Kartal initially stepping down as manager in September, only to return after the club rejected his resignation. This time, Fenerbahce accepted Kartal’s desire to leave.
Fenerbahce have not won the Super Lig since 2013/14 and are six points off league leaders Galatasaray after nine games this season.
