Trabzonspor Reject Fatih Tekke Resignation After Europa League Exit

Trabzonspor have rejected head coach Fatih Tekke's resignation after their Europa League campaign ended in a heavy European play-off defeat to Ferencvaros. BBC Sport reported that Tekke submitted his resignation following Thursday's second leg in Hungary, but the Turkish club declined to accept it on Friday morning.

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The seven-time Turkish champions lost 4-0 away to Ferencvaros and went out 5-0 on aggregate. The result ended their bid to enter the Europa League's league phase and prompted an immediate response from Tekke, whose position had not previously been announced as vacant by the club.

Trabzonspor said Tekke's decision was driven by the intense emotional impact of the European elimination. By rejecting the resignation, the club has indicated that the 48-year-old remains its head coach despite the scale of the defeat and the disappointment surrounding the tie.

Tekke has been in charge since March 2025. He guided Trabzonspor to third place in the Turkish Super Lig last season, a finish that put the club in position to pursue European competition this term. The Europa League setback does not end that campaign entirely: Trabzonspor will instead move into the UEFA Conference League.

The club is due to learn its six opponents for the Conference League phase in Friday's draw, according to the BBC report. That gives Tekke and his squad another European route after the loss in Budapest, although the change of competition follows a play-off in which Trabzonspor failed to score across the two legs.

The episode comes during a high-profile summer for the club. Trabzonspor have signed Mohamed Salah and Fabinho, while goalkeeper Andre Onana has returned on loan from Manchester United. Salah joined after mutually ending his Liverpool contract last season and scored his first two Trabzonspor goals in Saturday's 2-1 win over Istanbul Basaksehir. Those additions have raised the profile of a squad now preparing to continue its continental season in the Conference League with Tekke still in charge.