Fenerbahçe's search for a head coach: Is the problem only the coach?

Fenerbahçe has parted ways with İsmail Kartal, and management, led by President Aziz Yıldırım, has started the search for a new head coach. Hürriyet sports columnist Ufuk Kaan Karacan has written a column arguing that the problems the club faces in this process are not limited to the choice of coach.

According to Karacan, Fenerbahçe has in recent years become a structure dominated by coaches. One of the points he criticizes is the club treating 99 points as the sole measure of a championship and bringing Kartal back for a fourth time. Recalling the example of Manuel Pellegrini, Karacan presents Real Madrid's decision to part ways with a coach who had collected 96 points as a positive approach.

The writer does not support fans proposing names or building public opinion on social media. He notes that such persistence played a role in Vitor Pereira's return for a second spell. He also views the closure of the Athletic Performance Department during Pereira's time as a serious shortcoming.

Karacan's proposal is to bring in a director who will bring reason, science and discipline to the club before any head coach is appointed. He advocates setting up a scouting system and creating an institutional order at Samandıra. Recalling that Aziz Yıldırım rose to power by creating a championship atmosphere in the past, the writer stresses that the club needs a similar environment today.