Fenerbahce president Ali Koç has revealed why he decided to sack Jose Mourinho as manager at the Chobani Stadium – and the explanation will come as little surprise to Manchester United fans.
Familiar problems
Mourinho, 62, was dismissed as Red Devils’ manager in 2018 after being appointed in the summer of 2016 to replace Louis van Gaal.
Despite winning two trophies – the Europa League and Carabao Cup – in his debut campaign, there were many grievances raised about the ‘Special One’ during his time at Old Trafford, from fans and players alike.
Issues with man-management plagued the dressing room throughout the Portuguese’s tenure, while the fanbase were constantly frustrated by the defensive approach which he is famed for.
And it appears this problem has reared its ugly head again in Turkey with Mourinho losing his latest job due to his “brand of of football”, the Mirror reports.
Speaking to Turkish media, Koç – elected as Fenerbahce’s President in 2018 – states it was not the loss to Benfica in the Champions League qualifiers last month which led to his decision, as was reported at the time given Mourinho’s dismissal came in the immediate aftermath of the match.
Instead, the President revealed it was the nature of the performance, rather than the defeat itself, with Mourinho’s negative approach proving the straw which broke his own back.
“Why did we fire Mourinho? I’ll say it for the first time, it was a painful dismissal. Parting ways with someone who is above all a friend was tough. Being eliminated by Benfica wasn’t a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable
“We knew our coach would put emphasis on defence when we brought him in, but we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Scoring 99 goals and getting 99 points [as Fenerbahce had done in the Superlig in the 2023-24 season] is our genetic code.”
A fall from grace
Mourinho’s dismissal constitutes the latest example of the sharp decline the 62-year-old has descended upon in recent years.
Having left United in similar circumstances, he joined rival Tottenham Hotspur, only to be sacked by the Lilywhites just days before a Carabao Cup final after a dismal run in the Premier League.
Mourinho then joined AS Roma where, despite winning the Europa Conference League and reaching the final of the Europa League, he also ultimately lost his job after friction with the club’s owners.
It’s little surprise to see the Portuguese coach repeat this trick without any treat in Istanbul with modern football appearing to have firmly moved on from one of the great managers of a previous era.
Featured image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
