Fatih Tekke, the head coach of Turkish club Trabzonspor, announced his resignation following the team's elimination from the UEFA Europa League after a heavy 4-0 defeat to Hungary's Ferencváros in the second leg of the qualifying round.
The Turkish website "61saat" published Tekke's post-match statements, in which he declared his departure from coaching Trabzonspor, emphasizing that the loss was painful and unacceptable to him.
The Trabzonspor coach said: "Of course, we went through a very sad night; the responsibility lies with me and my team. It was a sorrowful night for our country and our community."
He added: "Until the moment the player was sent off, the match seemed to be going well, but ultimately we failed to qualify for the Europa League."
He continued: "Over the past 18 months, day and night, my staff and I have been thinking about how to deliver better performances. The team will certainly improve significantly, but I won't elaborate further on this."
Announcing his resignation, Tekke stated: "Effective immediately, I resign from my position, which I held for 18 months. I believe I have the right to punish myself in this manner."
The head coach revealed that he had not informed the club's management of his decision prior to announcing it publicly, explaining: "I did not notify the administration of my resignation; this is the first time I am stating it on television. No one knows about this yet."
Regarding the reason behind his decision to leave, Tekke said: "I am resigning from a highly honorable position. Today's defeat is unacceptable. Misfortunes and bad luck can happen, but I cannot accept this; I cannot sleep like this."
Concluding his remarks, the Trabzonspor coach said: "I ask everyone to forgive me. We gave our utmost effort. I am punishing myself for this outcome. There are matches that cause deep pain, and today we played one of those matches."