Fenerbahce (foto: Getty Images)
Tensions rise at Fenerbahçe as stars Dušan Tadić and Edin Džeko recommend former Yugoslav national and Partizan star Zoran Bata Mirković for the coaching staff, a suggestion reportedly rejected by coach İsmail Kartal.
At Fenerbahçe, a storm is brewing involving team stars
Dušan Tadić and
Edin Džeko and their coach
İsmail Kartal, centered around a proposed addition to the coaching staff by the club's president,
Ali Koç.
The root of the conflict lies in a suggestion to enhance the coaching team with Zoran Bata Mirković, a former Yugoslav international and Partizan star, recommended by Džeko and Tadić. Mirković, who played for Fenerbahçe from 2000 to 2003 and has had stints at clubs like Partizan, Atalanta, and Juventus, was proposed to Kartal as an assistant.
However, this season has been disappointing for Fenerbahçe despite significant investments and the formation of a 'Balkan colony' within the team. The club is far from winning the Turkish league title, trailing leaders Galatasaray by six points with only three games left.
Turkish media have heated up the atmosphere by detailing discussions involving Džeko and Tadić on one side and President Ali Koç on the other. The captains of the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia national teams respectively, suggested that adding another Balkan element to the staff could improve communication.
Coach Kartal's rejection of this proposal led to a 'short circuit' between him, Džeko, and Tadić, which coincided with a downturn in Fenerbahçe's performance.