Where Did Things Go Wrong for Mourinho on His Turkish Adventure? | OneFootball

On Sunday, José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe effectively saw their title dreams dashed following a 1-0 home defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Beşiktaş. While it remains mathematically possible, reigning champions Galatasaray now sit eight points clear at the top with only four matches to go. And with the Lions having lost just one game all season—also against Solskjær’s Beşiktaş—it would take nothing short of a miracle for Fenerbahçe to lift the trophy.

When Mourinho arrived in Istanbul this summer, his mission was clear: end Fenerbahçe’s decade-long title drought.

To achieve that goal, the legendary Portuguese coach was backed with €67.9 million in transfer spending across two windows—an unprecedented figure for Turkish football. While this sum may pale in comparison to the spending sprees of Europe’s elite, it shattered domestic records. Chief among the signings was Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri, who arrived from Sevilla for €19.5 million, now the most expensive transfer in Turkish football history.

Fenerbahçe’s main rivals, Galatasaray, weren’t far behind. They spent over €61 million themselves, including €18 million on Gabriel Sara from Norwich City—who would have claimed the record fee had it not been for En-Nesyri’s arrival.

Other notable signings for Fenerbahçe included former Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and ex-Inter Milan and PSG defender Milan Škriniar. It’s safe to say the board fully backed Mourinho in the transfer market.

So Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Surely, with all this investment and Mourinho’s pedigree, you’d expect him to improve a squad that already totaled 99 points last season. But the results tell a different story.

While Mourinho has criticized the “status quo” of Turkish football, the reality is that Fenerbahçe—and Galatasaray—are that status quo. Turkish football often resembles a circus revolving around these two clubs jabbing at each other. Yes, questionable decisions have favored Galatasaray, but the same could be said for Fenerbahçe. Mourinho’s stance would be more compelling had he been managing a club like Kayserispor. As coach of Fenerbahçe, it’s hard to take claims of injustice seriously when you’re already part of the elite and are, in essence, asking for more preferential treatment.

Failing in the Big Matches

More importantly, Fenerbahçe have simply come up short in big matches this season—an area in which Mourinho once excelled. His teams were known as gritty winners, capable of grinding out results against direct rivals. But this season, Fenerbahçe failed to beat both Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.

They lost their first derby 1-3 at home to Galatasaray—a painful defeat made slightly less so by a questionable penalty decision in their favor. Months later, they lost another crucial derby, this time away at Beşiktaş, who were in a slump at the time. While Fenerbahçe did manage a draw away to Galatasaray in the second half of the season, they again fell to Beşiktaş—who are 20 points behind them in the standings.

Granted, Beşiktaş are having a bizarre season, mixing chaos with big results: a 4-1 win over Athletic Club, a 1-0 away win over Lyon, and a 5-0 Super Cup demolition of Galatasaray. But they’ve also been plagued by instability. How does a Mourinho team, supposedly built for high-pressure moments, keep getting outperformed by such inconsistent opposition? This isn’t prime Barcelona we’re talking about.

Adding insult to injury, Fenerbahçe were knocked out of the Turkish Cup by Galatasaray—again at home, in a single-leg match.

Complaints, but no Change

When Mourinho first lost to Beşiktaş, he claimed, “If we play this game 10 times, we win 8 and draw once.” But in five derbies this season, Fenerbahçe have lost four and drawn one. The fire that defined his Porto, Chelsea, and Inter teams is nowhere to be found.

Against the minnows of Turkish football, Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe often resort to bombarding the box with crosses and dominating aerially. It works—against lesser sides. But when facing opponents of similar quality, that extra spark, hunger, and tactical edge seems absent.

Take Sunday’s match: Fenerbahçe were fighting for the title, while Beşiktaş were battling for third place. Yet it was Beşiktaş who looked more determined. Fenerbahçe, despite effort, appeared uninspired. They created just one meaningful chance that wasn’t a header or a long-range shot—not good enough for a team of this caliber, coached by one of the most decorated managers of the past 25 years.

Conclusion

Mourinho is still one of the great managers of the modern era, but the magic that once ignited his teams appears to have fizzled out. He no longer seems capable of extracting that last drop of intensity from his star-studded squads.