Mourinho Sacked From Fenerbahce

Jose Mourinho has been dismissed by Turkish side Fenerbahce after just over a year as head coach.

His departure comes only two days after the club was knocked out of the Champions League play-offs by Benfica.

In an official statement, Fenerbahce said Mourinho had “parted ways” with the team, thanking the 62-year-old for his service and wishing him success. However, a club official later confirmed to the BBC that he had in fact been sacked.

Mourinho joined Fenerbahce in 2024 after leaving Roma, where he had guided the Italian side to their first European trophy, the Conference League, in 2022. In Turkey, he led Fenerbahce to a second-place finish in the league but his time was often surrounded by controversy.

Rivals Galatasaray accused him of making racist comments after a goalless draw in February and announced they would take legal action. Mourinho strongly denied the allegations, insisting he was the “opposite” of racist, and later filed a lawsuit of his own seeking damages of nearly £41,000.

The Portuguese manager also frequently criticised refereeing in Turkey. His comments earned him a four-match suspension, which was later reduced to two games. In European competition, he was sent off during a 1-1 Europa League draw against Manchester United in October. After that match, Mourinho said he would prefer to manage a smaller club in England in the future so he could avoid UEFA competitions.

Mourinho has now managed 10 clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. He is a three-time Premier League champion with Chelsea and won the Champions League with both Porto and Inter Milan.

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.