Fenerbahçe and Roma faced each other in the first week of the Champions League. The match played in Kadıköy ended 1-1.
Roma took the lead with Cristante's goal in the 39th minute and went into the half with a 1-0 lead.
When the minutes reached 48 minutes, Archie Brown came onto the stage and equalized the score.
There were no further goals in the remaining period and both teams started the Champions League with one point each. Fenerbahçe will play away against Aston Villa in its second match in the Champions League. Rome will host Real Madrid.
Fenerbahçe-Roma match received wide coverage in the Italian press.
Corriere dello Sport: "An incident in Fenerbahçe! Coach İsmail Kartal resigned at the press conference after the draw against Rome"
La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Events in Fenerbahçe! Coach resigned, president confirmed: "They threw bottles at him"
While Roma took the lead with Cristante's goal in their return to the Champions League after 7 years, Fenerbahçe equalized with Brown in the second half. "Although the yellow-dark blue team had many opportunities to score the winning goal in the remaining part of the match, the match ended 1-1."
TuttomercatoWeb: "What happened in Fenerbahçe is absolutely sensational. After the match that ended 1-1 against Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma, İsmail Kartal surprisingly announced his resignation. With this decision taken at the end of the press conference, the Turkish coach refused to answer the questions of the journalists and merely announced his decision."
La Repubblica: "Roma got hopeful in Istanbul, Cristante was not enough for Gasperini: they drew 1-1 with Fenerbahçe
Roma's problems resurfaced at the beginning of the second half. Only three minutes had passed when Wesley lost Greenwood, Mancini came off the defensive line, the English player saw the corridor and left Brown face to face with the goalkeeper. The draw came. Rome lost its order for 10 minutes and the atmosphere in Istanbul suddenly changed.
"The surprise of the night was that Fenerbahçe coach resigned at the press conference at the end of the match."
La Stampa: "In the difficult Istanbul stadium, accompanied by enthusiastic cheers from the home fans, Gasperini's Roma got off to a flying start: It was an intense, not the most beautiful match, but one in which both sides had many opportunities. In the end, Roma took the risk and had to thank Svilar for protecting the Giallorossi goal from Turkish attacks. Amid the deafening noise of the stadium, Roma tried to dominate the game, but the first dangerous shot came from Greenwood, one of the home team's most effective strikers, and Svilar jumped to save it.
Sky Sport Italy: "Roma left the Champions League return match with a draw. In a fast-paced match with many positions in Türkiye, Cristante put Roma ahead with Malen's assist in the first half, while Brown equalized the score at the beginning of the second half. Svilar prevented Fenerbahçe from taking a 2-1 lead with several important saves. "In the last part of the match, one of Fenerbahçe's shots hit the post."
Sportmediaset: "Roma returned to the Champions League with 1 point. In the first match of the league stage of the 2026/27 season, the Giallorossi could not go beyond 1-1 away against Fenerbahçe. Although the guest team had more possession of the ball in the first half of the match, scoring opportunities were very few.
"Kartal and Gasperini started the Champions League with one point each."
Oggi Sport Notizie: "Roma started the game on the right note as they returned to the Champions League. Fenerbahçe and Roma drew 1-1 at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul. Giallorossi finished the first half ahead with a goal from Bryan Cristante. In the second half, the Turkish team immediately equalized with Brown and played better than Roma.
Fenerbahçe, who found a draw with Brown, deserved equality. The Turkish team started to play better and just 2 minutes later they equalized with Brown after Greenwood's perfect pass. Fenerbahçe put pressure on the winning goal for 20 minutes, but Svilar kept his team afloat with several important saves. The game was balanced again in the last 15 minutes. Lukaku's entry into the game caused confusion in the Roman defense, but the ball returned to the post. "The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams prevailing in one half."
