“We discussed an early extension”
German coach surprised by dismissal
Updated April 28, 2026 – 1:24 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Domenico Tedesco and Fenerbahçe were in the middle of the title race in the middle of the month after a winning streak. Two weeks later, Tedesco was fired – to his own surprise.
Domenico Tedesco was caught off guard by his departure as head coach of Fenerbahçe. According to his own statement, there was something different between the German coach and the top Turkish club: “We had just discussed an early contract extension,” the former Bundesliga coach told the German Press Agency. “Now we’re going our separate ways after our second league defeat this season.”
After 29 games, Fenerbahçe was still second. Given that Tedesco only took over the “Canaries” after four match days and were five points behind arch-rivals Galatasaray, the 40-year-old’s record was actually successful. But the draw against Rizespor and the defeat against Galatasaray were apparently reason enough for the club’s management to fire the coach. The derby was lost 3-0 on Sunday.
The championship is now as good as decided thanks to Galatasaray’s seven point lead. In total, the German coach was on the sidelines of the 19-time Turkish champions in 45 competitive games. The city derby was his last.
“This shows once again how fast-moving football has become,” said Tedesco. “When I started, the goal was to build something together that was also sustainable. We wanted to do things together a little differently than we might have done in the past.”
What will happen next for Tedesco is unclear. Before his position in Istanbul, he was the national coach of Belgium and had also coached RB Leipzig, Spartak Moscow, Schalke 04 and Erzgebirge Aue.
