Jose Mourinho sacked by Fenerbahce after Champions League exit

• Jose Mourinho has been dismissed by Fenerbahce just over a year into his tenure, two days after the club’s Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica.
• His time in Istanbul was marked by controversy, including bans for comments about referees and a suspension for a touchline clash with Galatasaray’s Okan Buruk.
• Despite his decorated career, Mourinho failed to win silverware at Fenerbahce, finishing second in the Super Lig and suffering early exits in Europe and domestic cups.

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Fenerbahce after just over a year in charge, with the decision coming two days after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage following defeat to Benfica.

“We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho,” read a club statement. “We thank him for his efforts for our team and wish him success in his future career.” A club official later confirmed that Mourinho had been dismissed.

The 62-year-old was appointed ahead of the 2024-25 campaign after leaving Roma, where he had delivered the club’s first European trophy by winning the Conference League in 2022. At Fenerbahce, however, his tenure brought no silverware. His side finished second in the Super Lig last season, 11 points behind Galatasaray, lost to Gala in the Turkish Cup, and were eliminated by Rangers in the Europa League round of 16.

This season began with four points from the opening two league games, but a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Benfica in the Champions League play-off sealed his fate.

Mourinho’s spell in Istanbul was also overshadowed by controversy. Galatasaray said they would “initiate criminal proceedings” after accusing him of making “racist statements” following a goalless draw in February. Mourinho denied the allegations, calling himself “the opposite” of racist, and launched a lawsuit seeking damages of 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).

He frequently criticised refereeing standards in Turkey, earning a four-match suspension later reduced to two. In April, he received a three-match ban for pinching the nose of Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk during a heated touchline altercation in the Turkish Cup.

After being sent off in a Europa League match against Manchester United in October, Mourinho quipped that he wanted to manage a team “at the bottom of the table in England” once he left Fenerbahce so he would not have to deal with UEFA competitions.

A serial winner earlier in his career with Champions League triumphs at Porto and Inter Milan, three Premier League titles across two spells with Chelsea, and Europa League glory with Manchester United in 2017, Mourinho departs Fenerbahce without adding to his long list of honours.

His dismissal came just a day after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who succeeded him at Manchester United in 2018, was sacked by Besiktas, underlining the turbulent managerial situation in Turkish football.