Jose Mourinho. (AP Image)
During his presentation at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, a visibly emotional Mourinho showcased his passion for the sport by waving his scarf in the air.
Months after being sacked by Roma, Jose Mourinho made a blockbuster return to management after being announced as the new coach of Fenerbahce on Sunday.
During his presentation at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, a visibly emotional Mourinho showcased his passion for the sport by waving his scarf in the air. The gesture was greatly appreciated by the Turkish side’s fans who got to their feet and cheered loudly for their new coach inside the 48,000-capacity stadium.
🟡🔵 Fenerbahçe’nin yeni teknik direktörü Jose Mourinho: “En önemlisi ne Türk futbolunu geliştirmek ne de Türkiye Süper Ligi’ni geliştirmek asıl önemli olan şey Fenerbahçe!” #beINSPORTS pic.twitter.com/qsbDsSwU1Z— beIN SPORTS Türkiye (@beINSPORTS_TR) June 2, 2024
It has been quite a busy week for Jose Mourinho in May. The manager had been itching to get back to coaching since parting ways with Roma. After much speculation, the 61-year-old finally signed a two-year deal with Fenerbahce.
Addressing the crowd during his presentation, Mourinho talked about his passion for the game. “From this moment I belong to your family – this shirt is my skin. Football is passion and there is no better place to feel that passion,” Mourinho said.
He also talked about how he wanted to contribute to Turkish football, “I want to work for Turkish football, I want to work for the Turkish league and help to improve, but the most important thing is Fenerbahce.”
Jose Mourinho made impact in his two-and-a-half-year stint at Roma. He guided the side to a Europa Conference League win in 2022 and a Europa League final the following year. Despite a successful run, the Italian club decided to part ways with the Portuguese manager in January, earlier this year.
With his arrival in the Turkish League, Mourinho has a new set of challenges ahead of him. He has been tasked with winning Fenerbahce their first league title since 2014. The club has finished as runners-up six times in these 10 years. They had a solid campaign last year, finishing with 99 points, but still lost the league to Galatasaray by three points.
Fenerbache is the eighth club for Jose Mourinho, easily among the modern-era coaching greats. He sprung into prominence after winning the UEFA Champions League in 2002 with Porto. Since then, the Portuguese manager has won silverware with every club he’s coached except for Tottenham Hotspur. With a brilliant stint at Roma in his previous three years, it remains to be seen if Mourinho can help Fenerbahce win some trophies.
