Turkish Fenerbahçe has signed Portuguese coach José Mourinho to oversee the team starting from the next season, as announced by the Istanbul club on Saturday evening. Mourinho himself confirmed the news of his contract with the Turkish club through a video broadcast on the club's official website, saying: "Good evening, Fenerbahçe supporters. We meet tomorrow (Sunday) in Kadıköy (one of Istanbul's neighborhoods and the club's headquarters) to start our journey together." According to local newspapers, club president Ali Koç offered Mourinho a two-year contract with the option to renew for a third year. Fenerbahçe has not won the Turkish league in 10 years and finished as the runner-up last season to champion Galatasaray.
Mourinho (61 years old) was dismissed from his position as coach of Italian Roma in January after finishing ninth halfway through the season, although he led the team to win the "Conference League" title in 2022 and reach the final of the Europa League last year during his two and a half years there. He faced significant issues this season with the Italian capital's team amid criticism of his players, club officials, and referees, leading to his dismissal and the appointment of former midfielder Daniele De Rossi as his replacement.
In Turkey, Mourinho will embark on his 11th experience with a club in his coaching career, which has been marked by numerous titles, including winning the Champions League twice with Porto (2004) and Inter Milan (2010), as well as league titles in England with Chelsea (2005, 2006, and 2015), Italy (2009 and 2010), and Spain with Real Madrid (2012). Mourinho is known for his controversial personality, which has garnered much criticism, as he dubbed himself "the Special One." However, his shine has dimmed over the last ten years, as evidenced by his failures with Manchester United, Tottenham, and most recently, Roma.
