Jose Mourinho was dismissed from his role as head coach by Fenerbahce on August 29.
Mourinho was appointed by the Turkish club in June 2024 following his three-year managerial tenure at Serie A side Roma. After just over a year in charge, Fenerbahce decided to part ways with the Portuguese manager, the day after they suffered a defeat against Benfica in a Champions League play-off.
Despite leading the squad to 35 victories and suffering only nine defeats in 56 matches last season, where Fenerbahce ranked second in the Super Lig table, the club board decided against continuing with Mourinho's tactics for another campaign.
Now, Fenerbahce president Ali Koc has explained why they sacked Mourinho, referring to it as a 'bitter parting.'
What did the Fenerbahce president say about Jose Mourinho’s dismissal?
Fenerbahce's decision about Mourinho raised questions, considering the 62-year-old manager's progress last campaign. The timing of his dismissal apparently suggested that it was due to the club's Champions League play-off defeat.
However, Fenerbahce president Koc stated that the loss against Benfica 'wasn't a problem,' mentioning that Mourinho's 'kind of football works in Europe,' and not in Turkey, and told Turkish outlet Hurriyet,
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"Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting. Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement," as per GOAL.
"Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code."
"Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue. We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."
Fenerbahce have not found their new head coach yet and have Turkish coach Zeki Murat Gole in charge of the squad for the time being.