Trabzon: Turkish club Trabzonspor has rejected the resignation of its first-team football coach, Fatih Tekki, which he submitted following the heavy defeat against Hungarian side Ferencv¡ros in the second leg of the Europa League qualifying playoffs. Trabzonspor stated in a press release on Friday that Teki had submitted his resignation “emotionally affected by the defeat against Ferencv¡ros,” but confirmed that the club’s board of directors had decided not to accept it.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the club added that Teki will continue in his role as head coach and will lead the team in their upcoming match against Amedspor in the Turkish Super League. The club’s decision to retain Teki comes despite their elimination from the Europa League, after last night’s 4-0 loss to Ferencv¡ros in the second leg, resulting in a 5-0 aggregate defeat and relegating them to the UEFA Confederation Cup.

Trabzonspor’s hopes of a comeback were dashed early when their Ukrainian player, Ruslan Malinovskyi, received a red card. The Hungarian side then capitalized on their numerical advantage after Sidnei Cabral was also sent off, securing a resounding 4-0 victory. A visibly distraught and disappointed Trabzonspor coach, Tiki, took full responsibility for the result and their elimination from the competition, confirming his resignation in the post-match press conference.

“Until the moment the Ukrainian player was sent off, the game was going well, but ultimately we failed to qualify for the Europa League,” the Turkish coach said. He added, “For eighteen months, my team and I have been working day and night, constantly striving to improve our performance. Now, after eighteen months, I am submitting my resignation, and I believe it is my right to take stock of myself in this way.”

Trabzonspor hopes that retaining Tekki will help maintain the team’s technical stability and overcome the repercussions of their European exit before continuing their campaign both domestically and in the Europa League.