31 October 2026 Football Agenda: Fenerbahçe, PFDK, Cup

As the weekend begins, Turkish football's attention is once again on the yellow-and-navy camp. Disciplinary files opened after the derby, upsets in the Turkish Cup and injury tables across Europe also headline the day.

A stopgap at Fenerbahçe: Dirk Kuyt until the international break

Fenerbahçe's board met on 30 October to discuss the first team's technical setup. The decision is that Dirk Kuyt will take technical responsibility until the international break. The club announced that a committee formed by the board will run the search for a new head coach and that the process will move quickly. The backdrop is the parting with İsmail Kartal earlier this week, which followed the 2-1 derby defeat to Galatasaray.

The club's official statement named no permanent successor. Some candidates are being mentioned in the press, but none of it is confirmed. Montella is reportedly the first name on the list. Until there is an official signing or announcement, those names should be read as rumour only. Kuyt's short-term test is a busy schedule: Göztepe, Liverpool and Çorum FK are the fixtures mentioned before the break, though sources differ slightly on the order.

The derby's bill: Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Archie Brown before the PFDK

The tension that followed the Galatasaray–Fenerbahçe match has moved to the disciplinary boards. The TFF legal department referred Galatasaray's Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Fenerbahçe's Archie Brown to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). Both were sent off after a fight at the end of the derby. Reports say both were referred on an assault charge under Article 44 of the Football Disciplinary Regulation, on a precautionary basis. Some outlets cite a different article and date, but the referral itself is not in dispute.

Bans of 5 to 10 matches are being discussed for this type of charge. The PFDK has not yet announced a final ruling, so those numbers remain a possible scenario only. The same referral list also includes Serhat Doğan and Ahmet Aytar, along with both clubs. The decisions could directly affect squad planning at both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in the coming weeks.

Turkish Cup: who went through

A few notable results came in the early rounds of the Ziraat Turkish Cup on 28 October. Antalyaspor beat Kars 36 Spor 2-0 away to reach the next round. Ankaraspor won 3-2 in extra time against Kırklarelispor after 2-2 in normal time. Adana 01 FK edged Kütahyaspor 2-1 after extra time. Balıkesirspor beat Arnavutköy Belediyespor 1-0. Sakaryaspor lost at home to Bursa Yıldırımspor and went out of the cup.

On 29 October, Gençlerbirliği beat Karaköprü Belediyespor 5-0. Coach Bernd Storck said that winning while playing well was the most important thing for him. Karaköprü Belediyespor coach Ahmet Yavuz said the cup was a special day for his team and that he was proud of his players. Because sources differ slightly on some scores, TFF data is the safest reference for exact results.

Premier League injury picture before the weekend

Friday's Gameweek 9 team news in England revealed serious absences at some clubs. Chelsea are without Reece James (knee), Jamie Gittens (ankle) and Joao Pedro (thigh muscle), and Jorrel Hato has now joined the injury list. Moises Caicedo, who went off at Anfield, appears fit to play.

Tottenham will be without Bergvall, Adarabioyo, Savinho, Mudryk, Xavi Simons and Odobert through injury, and Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended. At Manchester City, only Antoine Semenyo (knee) stands out as a long-term absentee. At Brentford, Yarmolyuk is suspended while Janelt is back. At Bournemouth, Kroupi is getting minutes off the bench but is not yet ready to start.

What to watch next

The first official head coach announcement at Fenerbahçe and the PFDK's rulings on the derby files will be the two key stories to follow in the coming days. Decisions made in club corridors look set to shape the Süper Lig's direction as much as the matches played this weekend.

The agenda may change during the day; follow official announcements.