Trabzonspor Parts Ways with Fatih Tekke After Europa League Exit
Trabzonspor have drawn a line under Fatih Tekke’s reign, accepting the head coach’s “emotional” resignation days after initially trying to talk him out of it.
Tekke walked away in the wake of a brutal Europa League play-off exit, his side dismantled 5-0 on aggregate by Hungarian club Ferencvaros. The defeat cut deep. Deep enough for a coach who delivered a third-place league finish last season to decide his time was up.
On Friday, the club tried to hold the line. They rejected his first resignation and framed it as a reaction made under the “intense emotional impact” of that European humiliation. The message then was clear: calm down, regroup, carry on.
By Wednesday, the mood had shifted.
In a firm, carefully worded statement, Trabzonspor confirmed they had reached a “mutual understanding” with Tekke and agreed to part ways “in line with Trabzonspor’s interests and long‑term objectives”. The emotional impulse had hardened into a strategic decision.
The club did not let him leave without a reminder of what he had given them over roughly 18 months in charge. They credited Tekke with bringing “significant value” to Trabzonspor, stressing both “sporting and financial gains” during his tenure and highlighting his role in developing the players added to the squad.
One achievement stands out: he brought the Turkish Cup back to the club’s museum, a trophy that ensured his name will always sit in Trabzonspor’s history, whatever followed in Europe.
The statement also revealed the tone of the final conversations. Tekke, it said, made it clear he “would never allow his presence to harm Trabzonspor in any way”. From there, the conclusion felt inevitable. “Drawing a new roadmap, prioritising the club’s interests above all else, had become unavoidable.”
So the club and coach shake hands and step away, the official note closing with thanks for his “efforts, his dedicated work, the successes he delivered, and the value he added to Trabzonspor.”
The Europa League collapse has claimed its first major figure. The question now is who Trabzonspor trust to lead the next phase of that new roadmap.
