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Jose Mourinho Officially Presented As Fenerbahce Manager
Jose Mourinho has been formally presented as the new coach of Fenerbahce and was given a grand reception.
The Istanbul-based club organized a special event at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, located in the Kadıkoy district, which was attended by a large crowd of enthusiastic fans.
On Sunday, Fenerbahce stormed social media with images and videos of Mourinho as he traveled to Istanbul and began to explore the city, including crossing the Bosphorus and taking in the sights from the air.
“Hello everyone, I want to start by thanking you for all your love,” Mourinho said during the presentation, which can be viewed in full here.
“The love I felt from the first moment my name was linked with Fenerbahce. Normally a coach is loved after victories. In this case, I feel loved before these victories. That is a great responsibility for me through which I feel, and for which I promise you, that I belong to this family, that this shirt is my skin.”
“Since the moment I met President Ali Koc and understood his ideas and projects, I wanted to play for you, I want to be the coach of all of you… From the moment I signed my contract, your dreams are now my dreams,” Mourinho added.
“I welcome our coach Mourinho on behalf of our fans. He is one of the best coaches in world football history. I’m sure he’ll be the winner coach here, as he had been in other clubs in the past,” club chairman Ali Koc said.
Jose Mourinho signed his contract in the presence of chairman Ali Koc and a large gathering of traveling supporters. Accompanied by his signature song, ‘The Special One’ graciously acknowledged a pitch-invader with a photo opportunity and a smile, followed by a lap of honor around the packed stands. Exciting the crowd further, the Portuguese coach waved the Fenerbahce jersey enthusiastically.
In the previous season, Fenerbahce secured a remarkable second-place finish in the Süper Lig with an impressive total of 99 points, narrowly trailing champions Galatasaray by just three points. Fenerbahce’s tally of 99 points would have set a new Süper Lig record if not for their arch-rivals outperforming them by a slender margin.
Following the conclusion of the season, Fenerbahce bid farewell to coach İsmail Kartal, who wrapped up his third tenure at the club upon signing a one-year deal in June 2023. Mourinho, who had been without a club since January 2024 following his departure from AS Roma, was unveiled as Fenerbahce’s new coach on Saturday evening, coinciding with the Champions League final.
