Dirk Kuyt out at Fenerbahce days after Champions League win over Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt, the former Liverpool forward adored by the Kop for his tireless work-rate, has left his coaching role at Fenerbahce just a week after masterminding a shock win over his old club in the Champions League.
ESPN reports that Kuyt departed the Turkish side on Wednesday, having guided Fenerbahce as interim coach to victory over Liverpool in Europe only seven days earlier (ESPN). This Is Anfield confirms the same timeline, noting Kuyt was "dropped from Fenerbahce staff days after beating Liverpool" (This Is Anfield).
Liverpool.com fills in more of the detail behind that result, describing how Kuyt oversaw a dramatic 3-2 comeback win for Fenerbahce against the Reds in the Champions League seven days ago (Liverpool.com). All three outlets are firmly aligned on the central fact: Kuyt's short-lived spell in the Fenerbahce dugout ended almost as soon as it had delivered a memorable scalp against Liverpool.
None of the reports go into detail on why the Turkish club moved on from Kuyt so soon after that result, but for Liverpool supporters the episode will sting regardless - losing to a team coached, even temporarily, by one of their own cult heroes is an unusual footnote to a difficult European night. Kuyt remains one of the most popular figures of the Rafa Benitez era at Anfield, and fans will no doubt follow with interest where his coaching career takes him next.
For now, Liverpool's focus will already be shifting away from that Champions League setback and onto domestic matters, with the women's side next in action away at Brighton on Saturday 14 November.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
