Premier League cult hero, 46, takes charge of Fenerbahce as Champions League club refuse to accept manager’s resignation

FORMER Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has taken charge of Fenerbahçe after their manager’s shock resignation following the Champions League draw with Roma. According to reports in Turkey, Dirk Kuyt and Zeki Göle were at the helm of the team for training today. Dirt Kuyt has only been back at the club for a matter of months and is now thrust into the top spot Credit: Getty If the president has his way, Kuyt will find himself assistant manager again before long Credit: Getty Ismail Kartal, the manager who handed in his resignation, did not come to the facilities for training. Fenerbahçe officials will meet with Kartal at some point today as they have refused his resignation thus far. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Kuyt, who scored 71 goals in 285 games for Liverpool, only joined the Turkish giants in June to be Kartal’s assistant. The Dutchman did spend three years at the club as a player directly after leaving Anfield, but his managerial career to this point has featured roles with ADO Den Haag and FC Dordrecht in Holland as well as Beerschot in Belgium. The chaos has stemmed from fans throwing a water bottle at the manager’s head. The 65-year-old Kartal told a news conference he was leaving “never to ⁠return”, adding that he had taken the decision “to clear the way for the club”. But just moments later, Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim would contradict his manager and told reporters that Kartal “continues in his role”. Yildirim said: “Some fans threw ‌a bottle at the coach’s head this evening during the game. He is upset about it. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Kartal told the press straight that he was leaving his post after the 1-1 draw Credit: Getty “I just spoke to Ismail Kartal. He mentioned the bottle incident and he also complained about being under pressure.” Asked if Kartal had told him that he would stay, Yildirim ⁠said: “There’s no need for him to ⁠say (openly) that he’d continue. I am his senior, I told him to continue and that’s it. We are a family.” Englishman Archie Brown was left gobsmacked when reporters informed him after the game that his manager had quit. When informed, Brown replied: “What do you mean resigned? As what? As coach? “He is not the coach anymore? He said this just now?” Fenerbahçe is littered with stars like Mason Greenwood, Ederson, N’Golo Kante, Marcos Asensio, Nathan Ake and many more flocking to Turkey. But Kartel has proven to be a turbulent character. The Turkish coach had only been in charge for three months prior to this outburst and it is his FOURTH spell at the club. Comment now