14.08.2024 10:10
Fenerbahçe coach Jose Mourinho made statements after their elimination from the Champions League in the third qualifying round against Lille. Mourinho, who stated that they would never be able to succeed in the Champions League in the long term, said, "We could never win the Champions League. We could never play in the final. We lost that chance today. We can do very good things in the Europa League." The Portuguese coach's words became a topic of discussion.
Fenerbahçe Technical Director Jose Mourinho made noteworthy statements after the match in which they bid farewell to the Champions League in the third qualifying round with a 1-1 draw against French team Lille.
"WE COULDN'T WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE"
The coach, who said they cannot be successful in the Champions League in the long run, stated, "I am always honest. I told my players that I am proud of them. As a team, we did everything. Tactically, emotionally. We hit the post twice. We missed 3-4 clear chances. Today, only one team deserved to win. We lost. The Champions League is an important support. We lost the chance to play against big teams in the Champions League. We could never win the Champions League. We could never play in the final. Maybe we could beat 1-2 big teams. Today, we lost that chance. We can do very good things in the Europa League. I am not continuing with the word 'if'."
FANS REACTED
The experienced coach's words, "We could never win the Champions League. We could never play in the final," drew a strong reaction from the yellow-blue fans. Comments such as "How do you know?", "This is Fenerbahçe", "He hasn't understood Fenerbahçe yet" were made on social media about the Portuguese coach.
Jose Mourinho's statements are as follows;
"ONLY THE REFEREE KNOWS WHY IT WAS A PENALTY"
"The team tried everything, we tried as well. We changed the system, the players. We switched from short game to long game. Our fans saw the spirit of our team. Our fans contributed to the spirit of our team. It's better if I don't talk about the penalty. Because looking at the recent incidents that happened to me; only the referee knows why it was a penalty, the one in VAR knows. I am proud of my team.
"THE REFEREE SHOULD SHOW RESPECT TO THE GAME"
"The job of this referee is to show respect to the game. He should ensure that the players show respect. I cannot criticize the opposing teams. They are also working to get results. If they had given a yellow card in the first 20 minutes, everything would have changed but they don't.
"ONE TEAM DESERVED TO WIN"
I am an honest person. I told my players that I am proud of them, they did everything to win. We adapted to many conditions during the match, two shots hit the post, we had many opportunities. One team deserved to win but the other advanced to the next round.
"WE HAVE A CHANCE IN THE EUROPA LEAGUE"
I am a professional, I came here to help. This match affects my club and our fans. I would prefer to be in the Champions League. I have enough experience, we could never reach the final in the Champions League. However, in the Europa League, I say 'if' again, we have a chance. If you are curious about the continuation of the sentence that I started with 'if', watch the Roma-Sevilla UEFA Europa League final match.