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Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Fenerbahce has come to an end after just over a year, with the club officially announcing his departure following their recent Champions League play-off exit to Benfica. The Portuguese coach, aged 62, was thanked for his efforts in a club statement that confirmed the two sides had “parted ways.” Mourinho, who has managed ten clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, guided Fenerbahce to second place in the league during his only season, but his time was characterized by several controversies.
Champions Galatasaray said they would "initiate criminal proceedings" against Mourinho, after accusing him of making "racist statements" following a 0-0 draw in February. Mourinho denied the allegations, saying he is the "opposite" of racist, and filed a lawsuit against the club seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).
Mourinho was a frequent critic of the standard of officiating in Turkey, and was handed a four-match ban - later reduced to two matches - for his comments about referees after the match against Galatasaray.
Following a 1-1 Europa League draw with United in October where Mourinho was sent off, he said he wanted to manage a team "at the bottom of the table in England" after leaving Fenerbahce so he does not have to play in Uefa competitions.
Mourinho joined Fenerbahce following a three-year spell at Roma, where he won the Conference League in 2022 - the club's only European trophy. He previously had two spells at Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles, and was a Champions League winner at Inter Milan and Porto.
In 2017, he guided Manchester United to Europa League success - the first time they had won the competition and their most recent European trophy.
The Portuguese coach has been sacked after failing to deliver success at a club still chasing its first league title since 2014.
Talks over compensation are continuing. Mourinho could receive about 9m euros (£7.8m), with his assistants due an additional 2m euros (£1.7m) - although nothing has been settled at this stage.
For Fenerbahce's board and supporters, the expectation had been clear - end an 11-year title drought and stop arch-rivals Galatasaray's dominance. Instead, Mourinho's tenure brought no trophies, no derby victories, and mounting criticism over his team's performances.
