Jose Mourinho Sacked By Turkish Club Fenerbahce
The final straw for the Portuguese coach proved to be defeat to Benfica
on Wednesday night, which saw Fenerbahce fail to qualify for the Champions League group
phase.
A statement on Fenerbahce's X account read: 'Our
Professional Football team has parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who has been
serving as head coach since the 2024-2025 season.
'We thank him for his efforts for our team
thus far and wish him success in his future career.'
Jose Mourinho, 62, was appointed manager at Fener in May
2024, initially signing a two-year contract at the club. However, the club's
1-0 defeat at the Estadio da Luz has cut his tenure in Turkey short.
According to Turkish media outlet Spor Arena, Mourinho's relationship
with the Fenerbahce board has been tense during the summer transfer window,
with the former Manchester
United boss criticising the club's strategy.
'If the Champions League was vital to my
club, something would have been done with the transfer window between Feyenoord
and Benfica,' Mourinho said before the play-off second leg with the Portuguese
club. 'I don't think Fenerbahce has a transfer list.'
This quote is believed to have been the
'final straw' with the board 'unanimously' deciding to send Jose Mourinho on
his way.
In his only full season at Fenerbahce, Mourinho failed to
bring home any silverware as they finished second to bitter rivals Galatasaray
in the Turkish Super Lig. They were also knocked out in the quarter-finals of
the Turkish Cup and couldn't get past the round of 16 in the Europa League.
President Ali Koc is understood to have held a meeting
with the former Chelsea manager in London in June, during which they discussed
severing ties after just a solitary season.
However, the decision was made for Jose Mourinho to
continue into the second year of his contract.
Just one month into the new season, though, and it was
already clear that there was a rift between Mourinho and the board.
When the manager claimed that 'the transfers necessary
for me to be successful aren't being made', executives were said to be left
bemused, claiming that he was 'distorting facts'.
The board reportedly said: 'We've asked him repeatedly
which players he wants in which positions. He hasn't named any players other
than Milan Skriniar. If the necessary transfers aren't being made, it's not us,
it's Mourinho himself.'
The Turkish giants have brought in the likes
of Nelson Semedo and former Aston Villa starlet John Duran this summer as they
bid to win back the Turkish Super Lig crown, but the moves were not enough to
satisfy Mourinho.
His 11th managerial job has now come to an end, and he
leaves Fenerbahce seventh in the league on four points after two games.
The news comes just one day after fellow former United
boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked by Besiktas after the Turkish club were
dumped out of Europe in the Conference League play-offs.
Solskjaer, 52, lasted seven months in the role, having
been appointed in January.
The pair may just be on their former employers' radar
once again as pressure ramps up on Ruben Amorim after the Red Devils were
humiliated by League Two Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup second round on
Wednesday night.
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