Trabzonspor manager Fatih Tekke abruptly resigned following his team’s 4-0 defeat to Ferencváros in Europa League qualifying, eliminating them from the competition. The loss came after a 1-0 first-leg defeat. Mo Salah, who recently joined the Turkish club, was substituted in the 64th minute.
Salah had scored his first two goals for Trabzonspor against Istanbul Başakşehir on Sunday, but was unable to prevent the heavy defeat in Hungary. Republic of Ireland international Callum O'Dowda opened the scoring for Ferencváros, extending their aggregate lead. Trabzonspor conceded two more goals and had a player sent off within five minutes, effectively ending their hopes of progressing.
Tekke announced his resignation live on broadcast, stating, “I am resigning from a very honorable 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.” He further explained that he and his team had spent 18 months trying to improve the club and that he felt compelled to “punish” himself for the loss.
Several former Premier League players were in Trabzonspor’s starting eleven, including Andre Onana (on loan from Manchester United), Stefan Savić (ex-Manchester City), and Paul Onuachu (former Southampton forward). Tekke stated, “We had a very sad night. Of course, the reason is me and my team! It was a sad night for both our country and our club.” He added, “Until the red card, it seemed like a match that would go well. As a result, we couldn't qualify for the Europa League.” He believes the team will improve but did not elaborate further, concluding, “As of now, I am resigning from my position after 18 months. I think I have the right to punish myself in this way.”
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