23.07.2025 12:54
Fenerbahçe's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho made bold statements in an interview with the press in his home country ahead of the new season. Mourinho said, "My first year in Turkey was a year of exploration. I neither played in a final nor won a trophy. This year, we will see what happens."
The Super Lig giant Fenerbahçe's head coach Jose Mourinho, in a comprehensive interview with Canal 11 in Portugal, made statements on many topics ranging from the current structure of football to his career journey.
"I LOVE MY JOB"
Emphasizing that he has not lost any of his passion and energy for football, Mourinho said, "There is no difference between today's Mourinho and the Mourinho from 20 years ago. I want to win the next match. I love my job and I see no reason that can stop me. My family is also one of my biggest sources of motivation. Even though I can't always be with them, this sacrifice makes me feel alive and motivated."
Stating that modern football has become much more complex compared to the past, the Portuguese coach noted that the scope of coaching has also changed, saying, "Today, the most important thing is to have a top-level PR expert. Because the world is now governed by perceptions. In the past, the highest earner was considered the best. It's not like that anymore. Now, the best is the one who creates the most perception. I came to the Premier League in 2004, and I was the European champion that season. Today, I don't even know who has come to the Premier League as a coach. I'm not saying this in a disrespectful way; it's a fact. Now, coaches are chosen not based on the number of victories, but based on statistics and data. Perceptions are created, and now what is more important than winning is 'playing like this', 'looking like that'. In this respect, everything has fundamentally changed," he expressed.
"WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THIS YEAR"
Recalling that Tottenham is among the rare teams he has not won a trophy with in his career, Mourinho also commented on the yellow-navy blue community, saying, "Is there a pressure to win here? That's my fault. Because I have won many times in the past. I didn't stay long at Tottenham, but I was going to play in a final, and I was sent off two days before the final. I won in Rome and reached a second European final. Fenerbahçe became the first club where I spent a full season and neither played in a final nor won a trophy," he said. The experienced coach, who has completed his first season at Fenerbahçe, also stated, "The first year at Fenerbahçe was a year of discovery. It's like discovering a new world. You need to be there to understand. We will see what happens this year."
"GYÖKERES IS NOT COMING TO FENERBAHÇE"
Speaking about the rumors regarding the transfer market, the Portuguese coach said, "Unfortunately, the news about Gyökeres's future is false. He is an incredible player, but he is not coming to Fenerbahçe. One of the 3,400 lies told about the transfer market was that Viktor Gyökeres would come to Fenerbahçe," he said.
Mourinho, who stated that he would return to Portugal one day, said, "One day I will see myself coaching in Portugal again. And one day I will coach the Portuguese national team. I want to be in a World Cup, whether with Portugal or not. But it must be with the Portuguese national team," he said.