Fenerbahçe and Roma both ended long absences from the Champions League but neither could celebrate a winning return in a 1-1 draw Thursday.
Fenerbahçe were last in Europe's top-tier competition in the 2008-09 campaign, while Roma had missed seven Champions League seasons since reaching the last 16 in 2018-19.
Roma took the lead in Istanbul in the 39th minute when Donyell Malen rolled a pass to Bryan Cristante, who beat Ederson with a bouncing finish. It was Cristante's first goal in the Champions League proper, 15 years since making his debut in the competition as a 16-year-old for AC Milan.
Fenerbahçe rallied through and equalized three minutes after halftime when Mason Greenwood slipped a pass through to left-back Archie Brown, who moved into a center-forward position and looked like a natural striker as he flicked the ball over Mile Svilar.
The hosts almost won it late on when Nathan Ake headed against the Roma crossbar.
In a surprise after the match, Fenerbahçe head coach Ismail Kartal announced his resignation, but minutes later the club president said he would stay in the job.
The 65-year-old Kartal told a press conference he was leaving "never to return," adding that he had taken the decision "to clear the way for the club."
Minutes after the press conference, Fenerbahçe President Aziz Yıldırım told reporters that Kartal "continues in his role."
"Some fans threw a bottle at the coach's head this evening during the game. He is upset about it," Yıldırım said.
"I just spoke to Ismail Kartal. He mentioned the bottle incident and he also complained about being under pressure."
Asked if Kartal had told him that he would stay, Yıldırım said: "There's no need for him to say (openly) that he'd continue. I am his elder. I told him to continue and that's it. We are a family."
Kartal, who spent a decade at Fenerbahçe as a player, coached the club in 2014-15, then on an interim basis in 2021-22 before returning for a full campaign in 2023-24. He was assistant manager at Fenerbahçe the last two times the club won the Süper Lig and returned for a fourth managerial spell in June.
Fenerbahçe have finished second in the Turkish top flight in the last five seasons and have reached the league phase of the Champions League for the first time in 18 years.
