Turkey’s Fenerbahce announced the dismissal of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho on Friday, just two days after the club’s elimination from the Champions League playoffs by Benfica. The decision came shortly after domestic rivals Besiktas parted ways with former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Fenerbahce issued a brief statement confirming Mourinho’s departure: “We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who served as head coach of our professional A team since the 2024-2025 season. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success in his future career.”
Mourinho, who took over at Fenerbahce in June 2024, had led the club to a second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig last season, behind rivals Galatasaray. However, his tenure was marked by mixed results and notable controversies.
The 62-year-old coach’s arrival in Istanbul was met with a hero’s welcome, with fans in yellow and black celebrating his appointment. Mourinho, known as the “Special One,” set a clear goal of ending Fenerbahce’s title drought, which had lasted since 2014, but ultimately failed to deliver the coveted league championship.
Despite his reputation as a two-time Champions League-winning manager, Mourinho’s recent coaching stints, including at Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, and now Fenerbahce, have seen a decline in his fortunes. At Fenerbahce, his team amassed 37 wins, 14 draws, and 11 losses under his leadership.
Mourinho’s time in Istanbul was also marred by several high-profile incidents. In April, after a 2-1 loss to local rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup quarterfinals, he grabbed the face of Galatasaray’s coach Okan Buruk in an infamous altercation. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss was also fined for remarks he made after a derby loss to Galatasaray, in which he criticized Turkish referees and accused them of bias—comments deemed “contrary to sporting ethics.”
In recent weeks, Mourinho’s frustration was evident at press conferences, where he frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the limitations of his squad, which ultimately fell short of his ambitions.
Fenerbahce’s decision to part ways with the famed manager highlights the growing pressure on Mourinho, whose track record in recent years has been tarnished by disappointing stints at several top clubs.
