Jose Mourinho Disrupted By Turkish Football Culture

JAKARTA - Fenerbahce's manager, Jose Mourinho, revealed that he was disturbed by the local Turkish media despite bringing the team to a good performance throughout the beginning of this season.

Mourinho's side are in second place in the 2024/2025 Turkish Super League (Super Lig) standings and have won the last five games in a row, including a 3-1 home win over Gaziantep on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, early morning WIB.

Fenerbahce is only three points adrift of leaders and rivals, Galatasaray.

"However, they (local media) still blaspheme me. Give me a little credit," Mourinho told a news conference after the match against Gaziantep.

Mourinho then referred to Besiktas Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was expelled on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

In fact, the Dutch manager was only recruited on June 5, 2024 or the beginning of this season.

The result of six matches with only one victory, four defeats, and one draw in all competitions is suspected to be the cause.

Van Bronckhorst's work brought Besiktas to fifth place in the Super Lig standings this season with 22 points from six wins, four draws, and three defeats were not enough to save his career in Turkey.

In addition, Besiktas also still has the opportunity to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2024/2025 Europa League with three remaining matches even though Van Bronckhorst brings the team only in 22nd place with six points from five matches.

"Don't try to do what has been done to Giovanni van Bronckhorst (in Besiktas)."

"I don't know any coach who in three, four, five months can make a miracle, can change things."

"For me, he (Van Bronckhorst) did a great job," said Mourinho who defended Van Bronckhorst.

Mourinho, who took over Fenerbahce in the summer six months after leaving Rome, further emphasized that the Turkish football culture was considered less good.

A 61-year-old manager said Turkish clubs wanted stability, but often changed coaches in the middle of the road.

Then, Turkish local media also prefer to put constant pressure rather than give appreciation for positive achievements. In other words, Mourinho called it not objective.

According to Mourinho, stability will not be created if managers change frequently.

"Results lately aren't the best, but you have this culture. It's a culture that is against stability."

"Klubs and players must develop. They also need stability in their coaches, in their coach's philosophy."

"So, give me a little rest time, let me work in peace. If I'm not calm, it doesn't matter, I'm still enjoying it," said the Portuguese manager.

In fact, Mourinho did not travel negatively during his trip to Fenerbahce.

The club nicknamed The Yellow Canaries has even become the most productive team in the league by scoring more goals than any other team.

Fenerbahce has scored 36 goals, one goal ahead of Galatasaray. In fact, they became the least conceded team with only 12 goals in Super Lig.

Interestingly, the positive achievement was also obtained when Fenerbahce faced a busy schedule, including the November 2024 international break.

During the November 2024 period, Mourinho won five wins and one defeat.

"The schedule applies to every team in Europe. That's when you have to use the squad."

"If you always play with the same players, they will be exhausted. You have to trust the squad."

"You have to give new players a chance to play. I have a good bench, full of options."

"With a bench like this, a coach is happy. A coach is not afraid of the accumulated matches in the calendar," Mourinho said again.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce's campaign in the Europa League is also not bad. In the five matches they have undertaken, they earned eight points from the results of two wins, two draws, and one defeat.

Fenerbahce still has a great chance of qualifying for the knockout stages with three games remaining.