Fener coach feels supporter pressure

ISTANBUL

Aykut Kocaman faces increasing calls from Fernabahçe supporters to leave his post as the club’s poor performance continues. AA photo

Fenerbahçe coach Aykut Kocaman faces increasing pressure to step down following a 2-0 loss to Kasımpaşa over the weekend.

Kasımpaşa, which is now under the direction of Fuat Kılıç after coach Metin Diyadin was let go despite pacing the promoted side to a phenomenal start, moved up to second in the Spor Toto Super League standings with the victory.

Galatasaray, which also suffered a surprise loss at Orduspor on Sept. 28, leads the league with 13 points.

Kalu Uche put Kasımpaşa in front after 73 minutes before substitute Hüseyin Kala sealed victory four minutes later for the host side, which ended Fenerbahçe’s unbeaten start to the season.

The loss came at a time when Kocaman’s popularity among Fenerbahçe supporters has hit a low, especially for his decision to exclude Brazilian midfielder Alex de Souza from the starting squad.

Resignation denied

Kocaman, who was called on to leave his post during the game by Fenerbahçe fans, reportedly filed his resignation after the match on Sept. 29, but the request was turned down by club chairman Aziz Yıldırım, according to reports.

The Fenerbahçe coach skipped the post-game press conference and an interview with the league’s official broadcaster Lig TV and sent his assistant İsmail Kartal instead, further fueling rumors about his future at the club.

Kartal told reporters that Kocaman was “too devastated” to join the press conference. “Fenerbahçe might lose games, but we cannot lose by playing this terribly,” Kartal said.

Yıldırım was also not safe from criticism, as Fenerbahçe supporters who have overwhelmingly supported the club chairman since he became embroiled in a match-fixing scandal on July 3, 2011, also chanted for Yıldırım’s resignation.

Yıldırım was sentenced to six years and three months in prison on match-fixing charges in July.
Fenerbahçe will travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Oct. 4 for a Europa League Group C game, and a loss in Germany may end Kocaman’s spell at the Istanbul club.

In Sept. 29’s other games, Stanislav Sestak’s late strike rescued a 1-1 draw for Bursaspor at home to Gaziantepspor. Ekrem Dağ had given the visitors a surprise 28th-minute lead, one that looked enough for all three points, until Sestak leveled five minutes from time.

In the northern province of Karabük, Karabükspor eased past Akhisar 3-1. Florin Cernat set the home team on their way six minutes before half-time and further strikes from former Newcastle striker Lomana LuaLua in the 69th minute and İlhan Parlak in the 76th wrapped up the win before Emrah Eren scored a late consolation for the guests.