Jose Mourinho Parts Ways With Fenerbahce Following Champions League Exit And Besiktas Sacking Solskjaer

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Jose Mourinho has departed from his position as head coach of Fenerbahce after the team failed to qualify for the Champions League league phase. Mourinho took charge of the Istanbul club in June 2024, following his dismissal from Roma earlier that year. Despite leading Fenerbahce to a second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig, they trailed champions Galatasaray by 11 points.

Fenerbahce's recent European campaigns have been disappointing. They were eliminated from the Europa League in the last 16, losing on penalties to Rangers. The club also failed to progress past the Champions League qualifiers for the 2024-25 season. This week, they were defeated 1-0 on aggregate by Benfica in the play-off round. Their inability to reach UEFA's premier club competition group stage since 2008-09 has now led to Mourinho's departure.

A statement from Fenerbahce read: "Our first team's technical director, Jose Mourinho, who has been carrying out his duties starting from the 2024-2025 season, has parted ways with us. We thank him for his efforts for our team until today and wish him success in his future career." This marks only the second time Mourinho has left a club without securing a major trophy since he began his managerial career at Porto in 2002; Tottenham was another such instance.

In a similar vein, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed by Besiktas this week. Solskjaer joined Besiktas in January and managed a fourth-place finish last season. However, they will not compete in Europe this year after being knocked out of the Conference League play-offs. Following a 1-0 home loss to Lausanne-Sport on Thursday, which resulted in a 2-1 aggregate defeat, Besiktas announced Solskjaer's contract termination.

Besiktas stated: "Our contract with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been terminated following a decision made at a board meeting." Afterward, chairman Serdal Adali expressed gratitude for Solskjaer's contributions during his tenure.

Both Mourinho and Solskjaer faced challenges at their respective Turkish clubs this week. Their exits underscore the high expectations and pressures associated with managing top-tier teams aiming for European success.