Dirk Kuyt has been appointed interim manager of Fenerbahçe following Ismail Kartal's resignation on Tuesday. Kartal stepped down after the Turkish club's 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray left them fifth in the league, six points behind leaders. Kuyt, who spent six seasons at Liverpool and scored 71 goals in 285 appearances before joining Fenerbahçe as a player in 2012, will oversee the side's Champions League meeting with his former club next Wednesday in Istanbul.
Fenerbahçe's squad includes several former Premier League players: Ederson, Nélson Semedo, Nathan Aké, N'Golo Kanté, Matteo Guendouzi, Mason Greenwood, Marco Asensio and Romelu Lukaku. This season, the Turkish club has drawn with AS Roma and Slavia Prague while suffering a 6-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Champions League.
Kuyt previously managed Feyenoord's under-19 team and held senior positions at ADO Den Haag, Beerschot and FC Dordrecht. He returned to Fenerbahçe as an assistant coach in June. Liverpool enters the matchup with a perfect 3-0 record in the competition, having beaten Atlético Madrid, Villarreal and LASK.
