Fenerbahce sack Mourinho after Champions League exit
Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Fenerbahce after just over a year in charge.
The Portuguese’s departure comes two days after the Turkish club were eliminated from the Champions League play-offs by Benfica.
In a statement, Fenerbahce said Mourinho had “parted ways” with the club, before thanking the 62-year-old for his efforts and wishing him well. A club official later confirmed to the BBC that he had been sacked.
Mourinho, who has managed 10 clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, guided Fenerbahce to second in the league during his sole season in charge, but his tenure was punctuated by controversy.
Champions Galatasaray said they would “initiate criminal proceedings” against Mourinho, after accusing him of making “racist statements” following a 0-0 draw in February.
Mourinho denied the allegations, saying he is the “opposite” of racist, and filed a lawsuit against the club seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).
Mourinho was a frequent critic of the standard of officiating in Turkey, and was handed a four-match ban – later reduced to two matches – for his comments about referees after the match against Galatasaray.
Following a 1-1 Europa League draw with United in October where Mourinho was sent off, he said he wanted to manage a team “at the bottom of the table in England” after leaving Fenerbahce so he does not have to play in Uefa competitions.
Mourinho joined Fenerbahce following a three-year spell at Roma, where he won the Conference League in 2022, the club’s only European trophy.
He previously had two spells at Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles, and was a Champions League winner at Inter Milan and Porto.
In 2017, he guided Manchester United to Europa League success, the first time they had won the competition and their most recent European trophy.
When Mourinho was unveiled as Fenerbahce manager in June 2024, he promised supporters the yellow-and-navy shirt would become his “skin” and their dreams would also be his.
But things didn’t turn out that way.
Just over a year later, both sides are parting ways in disappointment. The Portuguese coach has been sacked after failing to deliver success at a club still chasing its first league title since 2014.
Talks over compensation are continuing. One club source told BBC Sport Mourinho could receive about 9m euros (£7.8m), with his assistants due an additional 2m euros (£1.7m), although nothing has been settled at this stage.
For Fenerbahce’s board and supporters, the expectation had been clear – end an 11-year title drought and stop arch-rivals Galatasaray’s dominance.
Instead, Mourinho’s tenure brought no trophies, no derby victories, and mounting criticism over his team’s performances.
Mourinho was accused of playing uninspiring football, while several players who had excelled the previous season struggled under his management. His increasingly public clashes with the club hierarchy over transfers added further strain.
Before this week’s Champions League play-off against Benfica, Mourinho suggested the club had not shown enough urgency in the transfer market.
“If the Champions League was truly vital for the club, something would have been done between the Feyenoord and Benfica matches,” he said.
With Presidential elections expected in September, President Ali Koc and his board decided the relationship could not continue.
Mourinho, who has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs, arrived in Turkey with huge fanfare. But for Fenerbahce fans, who had hoped his appointment would end years of frustration, his short reign has proved another false dawn.
Culled From BBC
