The charismatic former Manchester United manager has been the headlines yet again this week ahead of a return to Europa League action with Fenerbahce.
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hinted at a possible return to the United Kingdom in the future amid ongoing doubts about his tenure in Turkey.
The charismatic Portuguese, 62, who lifted the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield during his stint at Old Trafford, is currently in charge of Fenerbahce in the Turkish league having taken over the role of head coach on July 1, in 2024, and is under contract until the summer of 2026.
Mourinho was asked about managing in Scotland in the future ahead of his side’s showdown with Rangers in the Europa League this week. He said: “In this moment, no, because I have a job.
“It’s a job that motivates me and demands loyalty. But why not in the future? People can say the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it is a league of passion. Passion in football is everything.
“To play in empty stadiums and competitions where there is not that fire of the passion does not make any sense. Celtic and Rangers are two big clubs with incredible history, also in Europe.
“I have lots of respect. They are big clubs with big fan-bases, expectations. Celtic has a fantastic coach in Brendan [Rodgers]. Rangers has [caretaker manager, Barry] Ferguson now and I’m not searching for a new job.”
It’s been somewhat of a bumpy ride for the Portuguese head coach since arriving in Turkey. Mourinho ruffled a few feathers after being given a red card in the 1-1 draw against United back in October – claiming that he was ready for a return to England before retracting those comments.
“The best thing I have to do is when I leave Fenerbahce is go to a club that doesn’t play in UEFA competition,” said Mourinho during his post-match press conference after their draw. “So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I’m ready to go. I don’t want to speak anymore about it. I want to speak about the game.”
The following month, Mourinho was given a one-game suspension and fined for comments he made at a press conference regarding the Super Lig after a dramatic 3-2 win over Trabzonspor.
“Nobody abroad wants to watch the Turkish league,” he said. “Who wants to watch this Turkish league abroad? They have the Premier League, they have the French league, they have the German league, they have the Portuguese league, they have the Dutch league. Why should they see this?
“It’s too grey. It’s too dark, smells bad. But that’s my job, and I will give everything to my job, to my club.”
The most recent flashpoint saw the former United manager accused of racism by Galatasaray for comments he made after last Monday’s goalless draw.
After the 0-0 draw with their fierce rivals, Mourinho stated that the Galatasaray bench were “jumping around like monkeys” following an early tackle. He’d go on to praise the decision to bring in Slovenian official Slavko Vincic to officiate the game, claiming it would have been a disaster if the fixture was officiated by a Turkish referee.
Galatasaray said last Tuesday they’d intend to take legal action against Mourinho. A statement read: “Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people.
“Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric. We hereby formally declare our intentions to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.
“Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce – an institution professing to uphold ‘exemplary moral values’ – in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”
The statement was posted on the Galatasaray club website under the headline: “Say no to racism.”
“We would like to announce to the public that a lawsuit for non-pecuniary damages of 1 million 907 thousand Turkish Liras has been filed against Galatasaray Sports Club by Fenerbahce Sports Club lawyers due to the attack on the personal rights of our manager Jose Mourinho,” a Fenerbahce statement read.
Mourinho was given a four-match suspension by the Turkish Football Federation, which has now been halved following a successful appeal. The 62-year-old has also had his fine reduced from 1.6m Turkish lira (£35,000) to 558,000 (£12,200).
A victory for Fenerbahce against Rangers would see them advance to the quarter-final stages of the competition, with a possible reunion against United in the semi-final, if both sides were to reach that round of the competition.