Jose Mourinho is about to become hated in parts of Istanbul after snubbing Besiktas to join bitter rivals Fenerbahce.
Mourinho has reportedly penned a two-year contract with Fenerbahce which will see him return to management this summer following his sacking by Roma in January. The 61-year-old has enjoyed success in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy and will now try to add Turkey to that list.
Fenerbahce are in need of some Mourinho magic, having missed out on the Turkish Super Lig title this season despite losing just one of their 38 matches. They accrued 99 points, yet still finished second, three points behind rivals Galatasaray, to extend their run without the title to 10 seasons.
Besiktas may have won the title three times since Fener managed it, but they endured a miserable campaign, finishing fifth after sacking former Portugal boss Fernando Santos in April. The Istanbul club thought they were landing Mourinho to turn things around, but it seems Fenerbahce have pinched him.
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Speaking to TGRT Haber TV earlier this month, Besiktas vice-president Huseyin Yucel said: "About a month ago I met Jose Mourinho in Istanbul and he listened to our offer. He said he would think about it and give us an answer. He responded after a while and said he would like to meet again in Italy next week.
"We [have] met Mourinho's financial expectations. We are prepared to satisfy his salary demands. We will evaluate his hiring with the board of directors. If we reach an agreement with Mourinho, we will recommend that he includes [ex-Besiktas player] Ricardo Quaresma in the [coaching] team."
Mourinho has repeatedly been courted by Saudi Arabian clubs, who tried to tempt him to leave Roma last summer. They stepped up their interest after he was relieved of his duties at Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League title in May 2022, the club’s first continental title since 1961.
Jose Mourinho is moving to Istanbul this summer (Getty Images)But speaking to Fabrizio Romano in March, Mourinho made it clear he would wait until the summer to decide his next step. “I am ready to start, sometimes when you end at a club you feel the need of a rest or a think,” he said. “In this case, one day after I left I was ready to go.
“I am really ready but I don’t want to make the wrong choice, but I cannot make the wrong choice, I cannot accept something just because of the feeling and passion to be back. I have to be patient. Is something going to happen in March or April? It is very difficult, my objective is to start next summer.”
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