
Fenerbahce, Besiktas Fire Mourinho and Solskjaer After European Exits
Fenerbahce dismissed coach José Mourinho on Friday, two days after the Istanbul side failed to reach the Champions League group stage by losing 1–0 at Benfica in the playoff round. The Portuguese manager, 62, had been hired in June 2024 and guided the club to a second-place finish in last season’s Turkish Super Lig, 11 points behind champions Galatasaray. A brief statement thanked him for his service but gave no details on a successor. The decision came less than 24 hours after city rivals Beşiktaş terminated Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s contract. The Norwegian, 52, was fired on Thursday when Beşiktaş exited the UEFA Conference League following a 1–0 home defeat to Lausanne that sealed a 2–1 aggregate loss. Solskjær had taken charge in January and steered the team to fourth place in the league but lasted only one domestic match of the new campaign. The back-to-back dismissals of two former Manchester United managers underscore the growing impatience among Istanbul’s leading clubs to regain a foothold in European competitions. Fenerbahce’s shares rose in local trading after Mourinho’s departure, suggesting investors expect a strategic reset as both clubs seek replacements ahead of the season’s first international break.
Sources
- B/R Football
Wednesday: Manchester United lose to Grimsby in the League Cup Thursday: Beşiktaş sack Ole Gunnar Solskjær Friday: Jose Mourinho leaves Fenerbahçe 𝑺𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆... 👀 https://t.co/bJuv7wLUDE
- Bloomberg
The sacking of a renowned head coach is usually a bad sign. Not for investors in Fenerbahce, whose shares jumped after the Turkish football club sacked Jose Mourinho https://t.co/KVFDyYKbWT
- L'Équipe
Fenerbahçe a annoncé le départ de son entraîneur José Mourinho après l'élimination en barrage de la Ligue des champions ➡️ https://t.co/peXe1UE47i https://t.co/XJWTzjXRgf
Additional media








