OFFICIAL: Fenerbahçe and José Mourinho Part Ways After Failing to Qualify for Champions League

Fenerbahçe officially announced their separation from Portuguese manager, José Mourinho, after the club failed to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The announcement was made on Friday, August 29, 2025, with a mutual agreement between both parties to terminate the contract early (Reuters, 29/08).

Mourinho, who was appointed in July 2024, leaves the Turkish giants after just under one year in charge. His tenure ended bitterly when Fenerbahçe was knocked out in the Champions League play-off round after losing 0–1 to Benfica (talkSPORT, 29/08).

Despite arriving as one of the most prestigious coaches to ever manage a Turkish club, Mourinho failed to deliver a trophy. Under him, Fenerbahçe only managed to finish as runner-up in the Turkish Super Lig, were eliminated from the Turkish Cup, and did not progress far in the Europa League (The Sun, 29/08).

In their official statement, Fenerbahçe expressed their appreciation to Mourinho:

“We thank José Mourinho for his dedication during his time at Fenerbahçe and wish him the best for his future career.”

However, the club did not immediately announce his replacement, leaving fans to speculate about the new coach who will lead the team (Reuters, 29/08).

Mourinho’s Record at Fenerbahçe

• Matches played: 62
• Wins: 37
• Trophies: 0
• Best league finish: 2nd in Super Lig (The Times, 29/08)

Failure at Manchester United

Mourinho’s failure at Fenerbahçe reminds the public of his tenure at Manchester United. While managing the Red Devils (2016–2018), he did win the 2017 Europa League, English League Cup, and Community Shield, but failed to bring United back to glory in the Champions League.

In two seasons, United only managed to reach the Champions League round of 16 before being eliminated by Sevilla in 2018 — a result considered disappointing for a club of Manchester United’s stature (UEFA.com, 13/03/2018). That failure became a major stain on Mourinho’s European career, and now it seems to be repeating itself in Turkey with Fenerbahçe.

This record makes Mourinho’s period in Istanbul one of the rare times in his trophy-laden career where he leaves empty-handed. ​​Now Mourinho is once again without a club, and speculation about his next destination has begun to emerge. On the other hand, Fenerbahçe must move quickly to appoint a new coach so their season does not falter further (talkSPORT, 29/08).