Jose Mourinho, the former manager of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, has been fired by Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce, according to Fabrizio Romano, who cited the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League as the reason for his departure.
Mourinho is a well-known football manager who began his career at Benfica and went on to lead FC Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan to great success in the 2000s and 2010.
His most recent managerial venture saw him take over Fenerbahce, barely months after being fired from his position at AS Roma. The Special One was appointed by the Istanbul club in 2024 and led them to second place in the Turkish Super Lig, 11 points behind champions and arch-rivals Galatasaray.
Fenerbahce sacks Mourinho for Champions League reasons.
Fenerbahce, who play their games at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, were knocked from the Turkish Cup in the quarter-finals last season, and their early elimination from the Europa League – in the round of 16 against Scottish club Rangers – also disappointed fans. The club’s leaders clearly trusted the Portuguese to get things back on track.
Mourinho has repeatedly demonstrated that he is capable of competing with the world’s best managers. However, the 62-year-old’s days with the club have come to an end, as Fabrizio Romano stated on X (previously Twitter):
“BREAKING: Fenerbahce has parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who will no longer be head coach. “The decision was made after failing to qualify for the Champions League.”
As Romano said, Mourinho’s departure comes just after Fenerbahce failed to qualify for the Champions League league phase. A play-off defeat to Benfica terminated their hopes of reaching the European top table, and they will now compete in the Europa League this season.
Fenerbahce, in eighth place, is unbeaten after two games in the 2025/26 league season. Their opener against Goztepe ended in a goalless draw, but a 3-1 victory over Kocaelispor appeared to put things back on track for Mourinho, widely considered as one of the best managers in football history, and his team.
However, losing their two-legged encounter with Portuguese club Benfica was the final straw, and Mourinho will now hunt for his next managerial position. The former Manchester United goalkeeper has always stated that he would be delighted to return to England’s top division. According to GOAL, he said:
“The best thing I can do when I leave Fener is join a club that does not participate in UEFA competitions. So, if a bottom-tier English club needs a coach in two years, I’m available.”
Whoever is able to secure Mourinho’s services will be getting a repeat winner. He has won 26 trophies throughout the course of his career, including the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, as well as league titles with Chelsea and Real Madrid.
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