Fatih Tekke resigns as Trabzonspor coach after Europa League exit

Trabzonspor head coach Fatih Tekke resigned from his post late Thursday following a crushing 4-0 away defeat to Hungary's Ferencvaros that ended the Süper Lig club's UEFA Europa League campaign, announcing his decision live on television without first informing the board.

Live television announcement

Tekke told broadcaster beIN Sports immediately after the final whistle that he was stepping down from the role he had held since March, stating that the elimination represented a personal failure he could not tolerate. "We had a very sad night. Of course, the reason is me and my team. We had a sad night for both our country and our club," he said. "It looked like it was going to be a positive match until the red card. As a result, we didn't qualify for the Europa League," he noted. "For the past 18 months, my team and I have been working day and night, giving it our all, trying to figure out what we could do to improve. The team will be much, much better—that's for sure. I won't drag this out. As of now, I am resigning from my 18-month tenure. I feel I have the right to impose this punishment on myself."

The 47-year-old former striker revealed that he had not discussed the decision with Trabzonspor's board prior to the on-air declaration, catching the club hierarchy completely off guard. "I haven't told the management about my resignation. I'm saying this on TV for the first time. No one knows," Tekke said.

Tenure cut short

Tekke described the defeat as "unacceptable" despite acknowledging that his squad had given their maximum effort during his 18-month reign. "I'm resigning from a very honorable position. Today's loss is unacceptable," he stated. "Misfortunes and bad luck are all acceptable, but I cannot accept this. I can't even sleep like this. May everyone forgive me. We did our best. There are some games that really hurt you. We just went through one of those games," he added.

The former Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe forward took charge of Trabzonspor in March 2025 and led the club to a third-place finish in the Süper Lig with 69 points last season, securing qualification for European competition alongside the Turkish Cup title. The club bolstered its ranks during the summer transfer window by signing Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah to a two-year contract, though the team will now continue its continental journey in the UEFA Conference League following the Europa League elimination.