Lorant out at Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe SK coach Werner Lorant has resigned after a poor run of form at the Istanbul club and been replaced by his assistant Oguz Çetin.

Difficult time
Lorant had faced a difficult time at Fenerbahçe after the club's elimination from the UEFA Cup at the hands of Panathinaikos FC was followed by a series of bad results in the league and Turkish Cup. This run culminated in a 3-0 defeat against Diyarbarkispor last weekend although the fourth-placed team are only four points behind leaders Besiktas JK.

Freedom for new man
Aziz Yildirim, the club's president, accepted the resignation and said the German coach had asked for no compensation. The Fenerbahçe board then named Çetin, a former midfield player at the team, as Lorant’s replacement. "Our new coach Oguz Çetin has the freedom to choose his own assistant and we are ready to accept any reinforcement ideas he might have," vice-chairman Attila Kiyat said.

Players punished
As well as the coaching change, the board has revealed that a number of players have been punished. Argentinian playmaker Ariel Ortega has been fined €25,000 for leaving the team camp without official permission and for arguing with his team-mates during a match. Meanwhile, Mustafa Dogan will have to pay €10,000 for his red card in a Turkish Cup game, while Fatih Akyel and Ceyhun Eris will pay €5,000 each for arguing.