KB Slots Sports >Football World >Turkish soccer club Fenerbahce announces Jose Mourinho as coach to end 10-year wait for league title

Turkish soccer club Fenerbahce announces Jose Mourinho as coach to end 10-year wait for league title

View21comment0

ISTANBUL (AP) — Former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new coach of Fenerbahce on Sunday, tasked with winning the club a first league title since 2014 after six runner-up finishes.

“I promise you that from this moment I belong to your family,” Mourinho told thousands of fans at Sukru Saracoglu stadium. He triggered huge cheers by picking up the Fenerbahce jersey and saying “This shirt is my skin.”

Mourinho arrives at the storied Istanbul club one week after it was edged yet again for the Turkish league title by its eternal rival Galatasaray which has now won it five times in the past 10 years.

Fenerbahce, whose fans include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, missed out in the title race despite a points tally of 99 and losing only one league game all season.

After days of strong indications Mourinho was to take charge, Fenerbahce announced in a social media post early Sunday that the Portuguese manager was to attend a ceremony at its stadium.

Mourinho was later photographed getting off an airplane that Fenerbahce posted with the simple message “THE SPECIAL ONE” — a description he gave himself on arriving at Chelsea 20 years ago, leaving Porto as a new Champions League winner.

RELATED COVERAGE
Portugal's Francisco Conceicao, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Group F match between Portugal and Czech Republic at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)
Conceição scores in stoppage time to get Portugal off to winning start at Euro 2024
Georgian fans hold scarves during the national anthems ahead of a Group F match between Turkey and Georgia at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
Georgia makes wild start to international tournament soccer in feisty loss to Turkey
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann embraces Germany's Jamal Musiala during a Group A match between Germany and Scotland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Munich, Germany, Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Nagelsmann touts Germany’s perfect blend of youth and experience to succeed at Euro 2024

Now aged 61, Mourinho should lift the profile and status of a club that never won a European title and will enter the Champions League in the early qualifying rounds in July.

Mourinho has won Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter Milan, the Europa League — or its predecessor the UEFA Cup — with Porto and Manchester United, and a Europa Conference League with Roma two years ago.

He has coached teams to win eight domestic league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

It’s his first job since he left Roma in January after two and a half years marked by the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and a series of disputes with referees.

The Portuguese has not worked outside of the top five European leagues since 2004, when he left Porto after winning the Champions League and joined Chelsea, which was on the rise under then-owner Roman Abramovich.

Since then he has also coached Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham in a career filled with trophies and off-field controversy.

It would surprise few people if Mourinho and Fenerbahce is a combustible mix in a fiercely passionate soccer city.

Fenerbahce clashed with Turkish soccer authorities last season, including by taking its team off the field during a Turkish Super Cup game in protest.

reply reply 0collection collection 27UP 241
Related tags:

FIFA World Cup,UEFA Champions League,Copa Libertadores

FIFA World Cup,UEFA Champions League,Copa Libertadores

Discussion group

UEFA European Championship,Premier League,La Liga,Serie A,Bundesliga,Ligue 1Football WorldStrategy

Related articles

KB Slots Sports
KB Slots Sports
微信扫一扫添加好友

微信扫一扫添加好友