Why Jose Mourinho Joined Fenerbahçe

Prior to the end of the 2023–24 season, big European sides like FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Chelsea had vacancies, but none opted for the “Special One.”

Of all the managers that were available in the transfer market, none had a better CV than the 61-year-old Portuguese tactician, who has won the UEFA Champions League twice and has managed some of the biggest football clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan, FC Porto, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and AS Roma.

Except for Tottenham, which sacked Mourinho in the week he was supposed to lead them to a cup final, he has won at least one title for every side that he has managed.

Related: Mourinho Reveals He Was Hard On Benzema

Pundits and sports journalists such as Oma Akatugba believe that Mourinho’s demand in European football has dropped, but it is hard to believe because there are European clubs that are not of UEFA Champions League status and would be more than willing to sign the Special One, but he opted for a club that is not ranked among Europe’s top five leagues.

Why Did Mourinho Choose Turkey?

Mourinho could have gone for a lesser European side, but he made it clear after his departure from AS Roma that his next destination must be a club with a better football project.

He complained about AS Roma’s inability to develop a strong project after he set them on a great path by winning the UEFA Conference League and losing in the final of the Europa League to Sevilla in the following season.

Mourinho probably wants a club dominating in their domestic league, and since he is not getting it from the top five leagues in Europe, he has chosen to get it from a lesser league and relaunch his career.

Just like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho is known for his exploits in the UEFA Champions League. Winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004 brought him to the limelight, and it will hardly be surprising if he misses Champions League football and wants a side that can guarantee him Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The last time he managed a Champions League side was Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. Jose has proved countless times that nothing is impossible in the Champions League, such as beating a formidable Barcelona side in the semi-final of the competition in 2010 with Inter and going on to win it. He might be aiming for a shocker with Fenerbahçe.

Mourinho’s passion for football is likely another factor responsible for his switch to Turkey. Over the years, the Turkish Super Lig has been plagued with fan violence, but while this is a negative phenomenon, it in a way shows how passionate Turkish fans are about football.

Jose Mourinho is synonymous with drama on the bench, such as poking former Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova during a Super Cup El Classico game or nearing physical exchanges with Arsene Wenger on the touchline.

Whatever the reasons are for Jose’s move to Turkey, the Special One cannot be underestimated; he is certainly up to something, and European football just got more interesting.