Fatih Tekke resigns as Trabzonspor coach

Trabzonspor traveled to Hungary to face Ferencvaros in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round and suffered a 4-0 defeat. With an aggregate score of 5-0 across both legs, the Turkish side was eliminated from the Europa League. As a result, Trabzonspor will now continue its European campaign in the UEFA Conference League.

Speaking to reporters immediately after the match, head coach Fatih Tekke appeared visibly emotional as he announced his resignation. "We had a very sad night. Of course, the reason is me and my staff! It was a sad night for both our country and our club," Tekke said, expressing his disappointment over the result.

Tekke explained that the match had been going positively until a red card changed its course, after which they lost their chance to remain in the Europa League. The experienced coach stressed that he and his staff had worked day and night for 18 months to improve the team, but described this particular defeat as unacceptable, framing his resignation as a form of self-imposed punishment.

Notably, Tekke revealed that he had not informed the club's management of his decision beforehand. He said he was announcing his resignation live on television for the first time, meaning neither the board nor the fans had known about it in advance. Tekke stated that he had given everything he could, leaving behind a strong and valuable squad, and expressed confidence that Trabzonspor's future remained bright. He closed by thanking the club's management, the president, and the supporters.