12.09.2025 17:30
Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç admitted that parting ways with Jose Mourinho was a difficult decision. Koç stated, "I struggled a lot when separating from Mourinho. It wasn't just about Mourinho or financial obligations, or what would come next, or what people would say. He was a part of my family; he was more than just a coach. Our relationship was not only about football. We had a familial relationship."
Fenerbahçe's president and presidential candidate Ali Koç made statements during a live broadcast. Koç also made remarks about Mourinho, who was shockingly dismissed from the team, and he made a confession that will be widely discussed.
"I STRUGGLED A LOT"
Speaking about Mourinho, Koç said, "I struggled a lot when parting ways with Mourinho. It wasn't about Mourinho or financial obligations, or what would come in his place, or what they would say. He was a part of my family, more than just a coach. Our relationship was not just about football. We had a familial relationship. There was no offensive play style, no pressing style of football in the third zone that is part of Fenerbahçe's DNA. We panicked and were upset in many matches during the first half. We came back and won in the second half. Why do we watch the matches with our hearts in our mouths? We had discussed these things. We talked about many other things as well. We had reached some level of agreement. The picture we saw in the first 5 official matches was parallel to the football played last season. Everyone can be eliminated by Benfica. The way we played while being eliminated disturbed me greatly. It was a very serious and difficult decision. We made this decision because we did not see much light at the end of the tunnel in terms of championship. Mourinho came here and gave his all. From 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening... Our new coach stayed in Samandıra for two days, and they criticized Mourinho for staying in a hotel. He stayed in Samandıra for days. We had zero issues regarding work ethics," he expressed.
"THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD COACHES"
Continuing his statements, Koç said, "There is no local or foreign. There are good coaches and bad coaches. İsmail Hoca is a great coach in his three different periods. I feel that he is also hurt during this process. 99 points and 99 goals was an incredible season. There were those among our executives who wanted İsmail Hoca, and I said, 'If it's a Turkish coach, it can only be İsmail Hoca.' İsmail Hoca is also an incredible workaholic," he said.