Fenerbahce have parted ways with Jose Mourinho after the club failed to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The Portuguese coach, who only took charge in July 2024, departs after just six games in charge of the new season.
Fenerbahce beat Feyenoord 6-3 on aggregate in the third qualifying round but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Benfica in the final play-off, missing out on the lucrative league phase.
In a statement, the Istanbul club said:
“Our Professional Football 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.”
Mourinho’s exit comes amid growing tensions with the Fenerbahce board. He had publicly criticised the club’s lack of transfer backing, saying earlier this month:
“If the Champions League was vital to my club, something would have been done with the transfer window between Feyenoord and Benfica. I don’t think Fenerbahce has a transfer list.”
Turkish media, however, reported that the board blamed Mourinho himself for failing to name specific targets.
The 62-year-old, who previously managed Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Roma, was unveiled in Istanbul last summer to a hero’s welcome, with fans hoping he could end Galatasaray’s dominance and deliver Fenerbahce’s first league title since 2013.
But his first campaign ended in second place behind Galatasaray, a quarter-final exit in the Turkish Cup, and elimination at the Europa League round of 16.
The dismissal follows an inconsistent start to the new season and continues a turbulent week in Turkish football, with Besiktas also sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just a day earlier.
