Fenerbahce Sacks Jose Mourinho After Champions League Exit

Popular coach Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Fenerbahce just over a year after taking charge of the Turkish side.

The decision came only two days after Fenerbahce crashed out of the Champions League play-offs against Benfica.

In a statement, the club announced that Mourinho had “parted ways” with them, thanking the 62-year-old before wishing him success in the future.

During his single season in Turkey, Mourinho led Fenerbahce to a second-place finish in the league but found himself surrounded by controversy.

In February, rivals Galatasaray accused Jose Mourinho of making racist remarks after a goalless derby.

They even vowed to press criminal charges, though Mourinho denied the claims, describing himself as the “opposite” of racist.

He went further, filing a lawsuit against Galatasaray demanding damages of 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).

Mourinho was also outspoken about referees in Turkey, which earned him a four-match ban that was later cut to two.

He clashed with officials again in October after being sent off during a Europa League game against Manchester United, afterwards saying that he would prefer to coach a small English club without European commitments rather than stay in Turkey.

The Portuguese coach arrived at Fenerbahce in June 2024 after three years at Roma, where he won the Conference League in 2022, Roma’s first and only European trophy.

Over his career, Jose Mourinho has managed major clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, winning three Premier League titles at Chelsea and two Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan.

He also brought Manchester United Europa League glory in 2017, their last European success to date.

When he was introduced as Fenerbahce manager, Mourinho declared that the yellow-and-navy shirt would become his “skin” and that the club’s dreams would also be his. But just over a year later, those promises have ended in disappointment.

Talks are now ongoing regarding compensation.

Sources told BBC Sport that Mourinho could walk away with around €9m (£7.8m), while his backroom staff may collect another €2m (£1.7m), though no agreement has been finalized.

Mourinho left without a single trophy, failed to win any derby matches, and came under fire for what critics described as dull, uninspiring football.

Some players who had thrived in the past struggled under his leadership, and his disputes with the club’s hierarchy over transfer policy further strained the relationship.

Before the crucial play-off loss to Benfica, Mourinho publicly complained about the club’s lack of urgency in signing new players.

“If the Champions League was truly vital for the club, something would have been done between the Feyenoord and Benfica matches,” he said.

With club presidential elections on the horizon in September, president Ali Koc and the board decided it was time to cut ties.

KanyiDaily recalls that Jose Mourinho previously criticized UEFA for using artificial pitch, saying it made football play difficult and was unsuitable for a Champions League match.