Jose Mourinho Reveals All

Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho shared his insights on various topics, including his journey to joining the yellow-blue team, transfer activities, the Süper Lig, and his experiences in Turkey. Speaking to HT Spor, the Portuguese coach discussed the process of signing with Fenerbahçe and the club’s transfer plans.

Mourinho mentioned that he received different offers during his signing process with Fenerbahçe, stating, “I was waiting calmly, analyzing. There were different offers. I met with different presidents. I was not rushing to make a decision that would motivate me. At that time, all three presidential candidates spoke with me, which made me feel how much the club wanted me. Ali Koç and Mario Branco told me about the ambitions, pains, scars, and dreams of this club.”

Emphasizing his desire to open a new chapter in his career, Jose Mourinho said, “I was motivated because it was a new country. Not England, Italy, or Portugal—this was something new. At the same time, there was the ambition of the club being in a difficult period. I understand the club’s dreams well and want to be a part of this club.”

Recalling his statement during the signing ceremony, Mourinho remarked, “For the first time, I said, ‘This jersey is my skin,’ but it is not the first time I have felt this way. Every club I go to becomes my club. I am not important; the club and its fans are.”

Highlighting the passion for football in Turkey, the Portuguese coach said, “In England, people live football only for 90 minutes a week. The rest of the week, they have their own lives. When I worked at Chelsea, my house was a 10-minute walk away. After the match, I would walk home. In Turkey, I can’t walk 10 meters.”

Mourinho emphasized his love for working under pressure: “I love pressure. I love emotion. If we can leave things like too much violence and aggression at the door and control it, everything will be better. There are too many teams from the same city in the league; it was like that in England. But it cannot be compared to what we experience in Istanbul.”

Expressing his belief that he will win the championship with Fenerbahçe, Mourinho stated, “Ask those foreign coaches why they couldn’t succeed. If I stay for two years and don’t win the championship, I will meet with you and explain why it didn’t happen. I heard a lot of things; if I believed them, I would pack my things and leave. I don’t believe everything I hear; I try to understand myself. Turkish coaches are more familiar with the culture. I am trying to learn the Turkish League. This is my whole focus. I don’t believe that one of the coaches of the championship-contending teams is very close to the referees. It is easier for Turkish coaches to adapt; this is already their natural habitat. I left Portugal 20 years ago, adapted quickly, and won trophies. If I didn’t believe I could win the 9th championship, I wouldn’t be here.”

Talking about Fenerbahçe’s transfer activities, Mourinho said, “I am happy with the transfers. I think we did the right things. The difficulty Turkish clubs face in the qualifying and playoff matches for European tournaments is linked to the late closing of the transfer window. When the transfer window is closed in most countries, they have the chance to get players they otherwise couldn’t, but there’s also a downside. Apart from the players who didn’t play in the European Championship in the games against Lugano and Lille, our transfer window was not over.”

Regarding the Filip Kostic transfer, Mourinho stated, “Kostic might even play as a goalkeeper. He will play wherever the team needs. Players are not important; the club is. Players will play wherever the team needs them. Kostic came because we lost a creative left-back, and we are missing there.”

Discussing the competition for forward positions, Mourinho said, “Fenerbahçe will always have a top-level forward on the field. Cenk Tosun was a great option for us. He knows the league well. We didn’t want to bring in a backup for Dzeko; En-Nesyri is a fantastic player. Since I don’t speak Turkish, I don’t understand what’s written on social media, but people are probably always telling me who to play between Dzeko and En-Nesyri. Not knowing Turkish is an advantage in that sense.”

When asked about the Cristian Medina transfer, Mourinho replied, “I thought you would ask me about Osimhen, but you asked about Medina. Medina is a Boca Juniors player, so I can’t say anything.”

Highlighting his satisfaction with the team’s performance, Mourinho added, “I am happy with the team’s performance. I think we have had 65 training sessions, but maybe only 20 as a full team.”