Fenerbahce President Alic Koc Explains Painful Decision Behind Mourinho's Sacking

Add as a preferred source on Google

Fenerbahce president Alic Koc explained that dismissing Jose Mourinho was difficult but necessary due to his playing style. Mourinho was let go after only six games into the season following Fenerbahce's exit from the Champions League playoffs against Benfica. The team failed to score in both matches, losing 1-0 on aggregate, resulting in another Europa League season.

Mourinho managed just 31 Turkish Super Lig games, securing 23 wins and only two losses. He also guided Fenerbahce to the Europa League round of 16 last season. Despite this, Koc expressed dissatisfaction with how they were eliminated by Benfica. "Why did we fire Mourinho? I'll say it for the first time, it was a painful dismissal," Koc told Fanatik.

Koc mentioned that parting ways with Mourinho, who he considered a friend, was tough. The issue wasn't the loss to Benfica itself but rather the manner of their elimination. "Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable," he stated.

The decision to part ways stemmed from a belief that the squad should be performing better by now. Although they knew Mourinho would focus on defence when hired, there was an expectation for more dominant play by season's end. Scoring 99 goals and earning 99 points in the Super Lig during the 2023-24 season is seen as part of Fenerbahce's identity.

Fenerbahce has not yet named Mourinho's successor, but Koc indicated it would likely be another foreign coach due to the team's composition. "Luciano Spalletti was our first choice, but he decided not to work this season," Koc added.

The club believes that given their large number of foreign players, a coach with European experience is essential. They are currently in discussions with several candidates and plan to announce their new coach soon.