Jose Mourinho gives Fenerbahce’s opponents on-pitch team talk after smashing them 3-0
Today at 05:35 AM
Jose Mourinho lived up to his Special One reputation by giving the players of an opposing team a moment to remember.
The Fenerbahce boss watched on as his side kicked off their Turkish Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win at Kasimpasa on Thursday night.
The hosts were made to pay thanks to first-half goals from Youssef En-Nesyri, Yusuf Akcicek and Bartug Elmaz.
Kasimpasa boss Hakan Keles fielded a side made up primarily of Under-19 players and despite a tough night at the office, they were left smiling by the time they returned to the changing room.
After the final whistle, Mourinho made his way onto the pitch and made a beeline for his youthful opponents where he was seen offering a few words of wisdom.
The entire team crowded around the 61-year-old as he appeared to give them a pep talk.
The footage of Mourinho's surprising but endearing gesture was shared across multiple social media platforms with fans left impressed by his actions.
It was a moment that Kasimpasa's young guns are unlikely to ever forget as the decorated manager showed a brighter side in what has been a tumultuous spell in Turkey.
The Portuguese coach ruffled a few feathers in November when he gave an eight-minute post-match rant about the officiating in his side’s 3-2 win over Trabzonspor.
"Today, the man of the match was [VAR referee] Atilla Karaoglan," Mourinho fumed.
"We didn't see him, but he was the referee of the match. The referee was just a little boy who was there on the pitch, but the referee was Atilla Karaoglan.
"He went from the invisible man to the most important man of the match. I speak on behalf of all Fenerbahce fans. We don't want him again.
“We don't want him because it smells bad. We don't want him. We don't want him on the pitch, but on the VAR even less."
He went on to suggest that corruption is rife within Turkish football.
"I know what I was told, even before I came,” he remarked. “I didn't believe. It's even worse than I was told. But I prefer to be on this side. It's more difficult.
“It's more difficult because we play against good opponents like Trabzonspor is a good opponent with lots of good players and a historical coach.
"But we play against a system. And to play against a system is the most difficult thing. Tonight we play against a good team, against a strong atmosphere, against VAR, and against a system. So very hard."
And Mourinho doubled down on his earlier thoughts while also taking aim at title rivals Galatasaray, with another rant after last Sunday's 2-1 victory over Hatayspor.
Reigning Super Lig champions Galatasaray hold an eight-point lead over Fenerbahce with 19 games to play.
“To close the gap, we need to win matches and we need the leader to lose points," Mourinho told Portuguese reporters.
“I think we are going to win matches, I think we are going to be better than we have been until now. But how are they going to lose points? That’s the question.
“How? I don’t speak English, I’m sorry, I don’t speak Turkish, but sometimes I learn words by repetition.
“I listen so many times to certain words that then I learn them by repetition. It’s the 'gunaydin' (good morning), it’s the 'toplanti' (meeting), there are a few words that I learn by repetition.
“Yesterday, everybody was saying the same thing. Scandal, scandal, scandal. I learn new words. Scandal, scandal, scandal.
“But I think some of you like it. In this country, many people like it. Even the winners like it, which is the worst thing of all. Which is the worst thing of all.
“Because to win at any cost and to win in this way is the worst thing. Is the worst thing.”
