Trabzonspor Rejects Fatih Tekke's Resignation After Europa League Exit

The Super Lig side confirmed Tekke will remain in charge for their upcoming domestic fixture against Amedspor.

Europa League Exit and the Managerial Resignation

Trabzonspor bowed out of European competition on Thursday night after suffering a heavy 4-0 loss away to Hungarian side Ferencvaros in Hungary. The result completed a lopsided 5-0 aggregate scoreline in the Europa League play-off tie, sealing an early continental exit for the Turkish heavyweights. The comprehensive defeat proved to be the final straw for Tekke, who sensationally quit his post during a post-match television interview. The match turned decisively after a second-half red card derailed the Black Sea Storm’s hopes, with the outgoing boss pinpointing the sending-off as the catalyst for their unravelling.

The visiting side finished the match with nine players on the pitch after Ruslan Malinovskyi and Sidny Lopes Cabral were sent off in Budapest. The disciplinary collapse compounded a dismal night for the squad, prompting head coach Fatih Tekke to announce his departure during a post-match television interview, taking full responsibility for the heavy European exit and bringing his 18-month tenure to an abrupt and emotional end.

Trabzonspor Rejects Fatih Tekke's Resignation After Europa League Exit — Photo: Nytimes

“I am resigning from a very honourable position. Today’s defeat is unacceptable. Misfortunes and bad luck are all acceptable, but I cannot accept this. I cannot sleep with this feeling. May everyone forgive me. We did our best.”
Fatih Tekke, head coach, via Goal.com

Tekke added that until the red card, it seemed like a match that would go well, noting that for 18 months, day and night, his team and he had been thinking about how they could do better. Emphasizing that he had the right to punish himself in this way, he insisted he had to hold himself accountable for a sad night for both their country and their club.

Trabzonspor Board Rejects the Decision

Despite the manager’s live-air announcement bringing his 18-month tenure to an abrupt halt, the Trabzonspor hierarchy moved quickly to block his departure. The club’s leadership assessed the resignation as an impulsive reaction driven by the immediate frustration of the European defeat.

“Our head coach, Fatih Tekke, decided to resign in the heat of the moment following the defeat against Ferencvaros. The Trabzonspor Board of Directors has rejected manager Fatih Tekke’s resignation. Fatih Tekke continues in his managerial duties and will take charge of the team for our upcoming league fixture against Amedspor.”
Trabzonspor Board of Directors, via LiveScore

The club formally stated via their website that the 48-year-old manager’s departure was rebuffed due to the intense emotional impact of the Europa League exit. Tekke, who led Trabzonspor to a third-place finish in the league last season, has been in the position since March 2025 and won the Turkish Cup with the club last season. The board confirmed that the tactician retains their full backing and will lead the squad into their domestic fixture early next week.

High-Profile Summer Signings Under the Spotlight

The European setback comes during a remarkably busy transfer window for the seven-time Turkish champions, who have reinforced their squad with several high-profile additions. Forward Mohamed Salah made the shock decision to sign a two-year contract with the Turkish club last month after mutually agreeing to end his contract at Liverpool last season. The 34-year-old Egypt international is the third-highest scorer in the Reds’ history behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt after scoring 257 goals in 442 appearances following his move from Roma in 2017. Salah commands a package featuring a €10m salary and a €7m signing-on fee per annum—which will be paid in each season—alongside a 20 per cent share of merchandise sales tied to his name, and recently scored his first two goals for his new club in Saturday’s 2-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir.

Breaking News: Fatih Tekke Resigns After Trabzonspor Bids Farewell to Europa League | NTV

Alongside Salah, the club added significant experience by securing Premier League winners Fabinho, who arrived as a free agent after leaving Al Ittihad, and Andre Onana, who has rejoined the club on loan from Manchester United. Ukraine international midfielder Malinovskyi was signed from Genoa, while Cabral, a star of the World Cup with Cape Verde, joined from Benfica.

Conference League Shift and Domestic Pressure

With Champions League and Europa League hopes extinguished, Trabzonspor will redirect their European ambitions to the Europa Conference League league phase this season. The club was set to find out their six opponents for the league phase on Friday.

Trabzonspor head coach Fatih Tekke — Photo: BBC

Tekke faces an immediate challenge in stabilizing the squad ahead of their domestic schedule and lifting dressing-room morale before the domestic schedule pauses for the upcoming international break. The team travels to face Amedspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday, August 31, under immediate pressure to put their continental heartbreak behind them and focus on securing all three points. Securing an emphatic league victory in that fixture remains paramount to appeasing an aggrieved fanbase and restoring internal stability within the club.