Struggling Fenerbahçe sacks coach Vitor Pereira

ISTANBUL

Fenerbahçe, which has been struggling in the Turkish Süper Lig, has parted ways with coach Vitor Pereira, the Istanbul club announced late on Dec. 20.

“An agreement was reached with our coach Vitor Pereira about the termination of his contract,” the club said in a brief statement on its official Twitter account.

“We thank him for his efforts so far and wish him success in his future career,” the statement added.

The decision came following a 2-2 draw against city rival Beşiktaş in a league game on Dec. 19. The failure to win added to Fenerbahçe’s woes this season, with the club trailing league leader Trabzonspor by 14 points after 17 matches.

Pereira had returned to Fenerbahçe for a second time in July, signing a two-year deal with the club he previously coached during the 2015-2016 season. A strong start saw Fenerbahçe top of the league after eight matches in early October, but since then, the club won just two out of nine games.

However, the not-so-expected move is unlikely to ease the pressure on club chairman Ali Koç and his board, who heard supporters cheering for their resignation after the final whistle of the derby game at Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saraçoğlu stadium.

Pereira is the eighth coach to be sacked since Koç ended Aziz Yıldırım’s 20-year reign at the club in July 2018. In three seasons since then, Fenerbahçe finished the league sixth, seventh and third, respectively.

Under Koç, who before being elected promised a major structural change in the club to ensure long-term planning, Phillip Cocu was in charge of the team for 15 games, Erwin Koeman for nine, Ersun Yanal for 54, Zeki Murat Göle for two, Tahir Karapınar for nine, Erol Bulut for 34, Emre Belözoğlu for 10 and Pereira for 25.