Fenerbahçe announced on 3 November the appointment of their former captain Emre Belözoğlu as their new coach, replacing İsmail Kartal, who tendered his resignation the day after the painful defeat in the derby against Galatasaray, having already made a threat to resign in September, which he subsequently withdrew.
Belözoğlu returns to the Yellow Canaries to take the reins of the team after the coach role was temporarily filled by Fenerbahçe’s assistant coach, Dirk Kuyt, who was unable to prevent the club from suffering defeat in their last match at home against the Göztepe of Izmir, highlighting the low morale within the squad and the ongoing problems in both attack and defence.
The former Fenerbahçe midfielder joins a team in the midst of a serious crisis, currently sitting in sixth place in the Süper Lig with just 16 points, already nine points behind the league leaders and four-time consecutive champions, Galatasaray. This situation has arisen under the new presidency of Aziz Yıldırım, who, on his return to the Istanbul club, promised to end the Lions’ dominance and win their first Turkish Super League title after a 12-year drought.
Prior to the announcement of the one-and-a-half-year deal with Belözoğlu, the Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição – with whom the blue-and-yellow side had begun negotiations on 2 November – had turned down a similar offer to manage the team for the remainder of this season and the next, according to the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.
Fenerbahce welcomes Belozoglu on social media
In a message posted on its official social media profile, Fenerbahçe welcomed its new coach by saying: “To sweat for the shirt, to fight for this crest, to stand firm in difficult times… To serve these colours is a loyalty that comes from the heart and does not wane with the passing of the years”.
“As a player on the pitch, as a coach on the touchline, part of this great family, Emre Belözoğlu is now at the helm as coach of our Fenerbahçe, ready to work for the success of the shirt. Wearing this crest is a source of pride. Serving it is a responsibility. Welcome home, Emre Belözoğlu!”, the message continued.
Kasimpasa bids farewell to its coach
For its part, Kasımpaşa, the team in the Turkish top flight previously managed by Belözoğlu, confirmed his departure from the club with a brief message on social media: “Thank you, Emre Belözoğlu. We thank Emre Belözoğlu and his team for their efforts and contributions during their time at our club, and we wish them every success in the next stage of their careers”.
Emre Belözoğlu, aged 46, previously had a spell in charge of Fenerbahçe as caretaker coach in 2021, having served as the club’s sporting director between 2020 and 2021. In December 2025, he was appointed as coach by Kasımpaşa, managing 31 matches and recording 10 wins, 12 draws and 9 defeats. After ten matchdays of this Turkish league season so far, Belözoğlu has guided Kasımpaşa to 5th place in the table, with 17 points accumulated to date.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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