Turkish Süper Lig heavyweight Fenerbahçe has appointed Ismail Kartal as interim head coach for the rest of the 2021-22 season, the club confirmed Wednesday.
The Yellow Canaries have been on the hunt for a new manager since sacking Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, following a series of sub-par results, in December.
Fenerbahçe said the club management’s first priority was to hire a manager for the rest of the 2021-22 season and the next.
However, it had to follow the footsteps of Manchester United in appointing an interim coach after its shortlisted candidates declined to take charge of the team in the middle of the season, according to a statement issued by the club.
60-year-old Kartal will now take the helm at Fenerbahçe and guide the team in its Süper Lig, Turkish Cup and UEFA Europa Conference League campaigns.
The footballer-turned manager has a long history at Fenerbahçe. He spent the majority of his footballing career at the Istanbul-based side, scoring 15 goals in 236 appearances between 1983 and 1993.
He also started his coaching career with the club's youth team back in 1996-97.
Kartal worked as the Fenerbahçe assistant coach from 1997-1999, then from 2010-2014 under Aykut Kocaman and Ersun Yanal, before taking over as the head coach for the 2014-15 season.
Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Super Cup in 2014 under Kartal.
The Yellow Canaries are currently fifth in the league with 36 points from 20 matches, having won nine and lost six.
