'Unacceptable' reason for Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce sacking revealed as club president speaks out on 'bitter parting'

Mourinho was dismissed by Fenerbahce on August 29 after just over a year in charge. The decision followed a Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica, who progressed with a narrow 1-0 aggregate win. Despite Mourinho’s record of 37 wins in 62 games, the board felt his conservative football was holding the team back, and Koc has now confirmed the exact reason for the Portuguese coach's dismissal.

Speaking to Turkish outlet Hurriyet, Fenerbahce president Koc said: "Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting. Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement.

"Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code.

"Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue.

"We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."

Mourinho’s departure marks another setback in his decorated managerial career. The Portuguese enjoyed great success as Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, but struggled in spells with Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma before heading to Turkey. It remains to be seen where Mourinho will go next after failing to deliver any silverware at Fenerbahce. 

Koc also revealed that Fenerbahce had been targeting a move for former Italy boss Luciano Spalletti to replace Mourinho, adding: “Spalletti was our first choice, but he has decided not to work as a coach this season.

“Due to the large number of foreign players in our team, we feel that the coach ought to be someone foreign with European experience. We’re in contact with several options and will announce our new coach very soon.”

For Mourinho, the future remains unclear, though he has been linked with a return to the Premier League at either Nottingham Forest or West Ham. A potential move to Scottish giants Rangers has also been mooted for the 62-year-old.