Fenerbahçe confirmed that Kuyt will remain in the role until a new head coach is appointed, following Monday’s 2-1 defeat by Galatasaray and Kartal’s departure.
The 46-year-old had joined Fenerbahçe’s coaching staff as Kartal’s assistant in June. He now faces an immediate test, with a Turkish league fixture against Göztepe on Saturday followed by Liverpool’s visit to Istanbul on Wednesday, 4 November.
The Champions League match will bring Kuyt up against a club where he spent six years and became a popular figure. He made 285 appearances for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012, scoring 71 goals and helping them win the League Cup in 2012.
Kuyt also knows Fenerbahçe from his playing career. He spent three seasons with the Istanbul club after leaving Liverpool and won the Turkish league title in 2013-14. He later returned to the Netherlands with Feyenoord before retiring as a player in 2017.
His coaching career has taken him through several clubs in the Netherlands and Belgium. Kuyt managed ADO Den Haag, Belgian side Beerschot and FC Dordrecht before returning to Fenerbahçe as part of Kartal’s staff this summer. His Liverpool spell also included a goal in the 2007 Champions League final against AC Milan, adding another link to the European competition ahead of next week’s meeting.
Kartal’s exit follows a turbulent period. He had also offered to resign in September, but the club did not accept his departure at the time and he remained in charge. The latest change came after Fenerbahçe lost the Istanbul derby to Galatasaray, leaving them fifth in the Turkish top flight and six points behind the league leaders.
Kuyt’s appointment gives Fenerbahçe a familiar figure to take charge while the club searches for a permanent successor. His first two fixtures will offer little time to settle in: Saturday’s league match comes before a European night against Liverpool, one of the defining clubs of his playing career.
Fenerbahçe have yet to appoint a permanent replacement for Kartal, and the club’s statement made clear that Kuyt’s role is temporary. The former Netherlands international will therefore begin with the immediate task of preparing the squad for two important games while the search for a new head coach continues. The appointment gives the club continuity in the short term, but the pressure will quickly turn to results.