FRANK SINATRA never did perform in a crowded hut by the tradesman’s entrance of a football training ground in Istanbul.
And Robert De Niro never fielded questions about the absence of a fit, recognised left-back for the fourth-best team in the Turkish Super Lig.
7
Jose Mourinho’s press conferences remain box-office eventsCredit: Getty
7
Advertisement
Mourinho was at his Robert De Niro best with the way he entertained the gathered media – here in the film Raging BullCredit: Alamy
But had they ever done so, it would have gone something like this. An audience with Jose Mourinho never grows old.
Even now that his vagabond shoes have strayed all the way to this outbuilding at Fenerbahce’s Can Bartu training complex.
As a coach, he may be past his prime. Indeed, he claims he wasn’t even one of the ten candidates spoken to by the FA to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.
But as a media operator, Mourinho is Ol’ Blue Eyes, he’s Bobby De Niro.
Here he was, simultaneously spitting poison at Turkish journalists, who have been critical of his underwhelming start as Fenerbahce boss, while greeting the English press pack as if we were lifelong friends who’d never had a bad word to say about him.
Tonight, Mourinho goes head to head with his former club Manchester United in a meeting of two once-great footballing institutions.
Between them, United and Mourinho won 16 of the first 21 Premier League titles, as well as four European Cups during that same era.
Inside Jose Mourinho’s £1,000-a-night Istanbul hotel as ex-Man Utd boss orders same three-course meal every night
Both are now faded and in exile — Mourinho on the Asian side of this chaotic, sprawling, city and United in the bottom half of the table, a world away from the elite.
Advertisement
A decade ago, both would have scoffed at the idea of second-tier Thursday night football.
Yet here they are. Still, Mourinho, the old rascal with the glint in his eye, was shaking hands, slapping backs and throwing signed Fenerbahce shirts to a couple of English journalists.
“You English guys know where I live,” he giggled, “you know what I eat. Come round and make yourselves at home. I’m staying here at the training ground tonight, so does anyone need a room for the night?”
Advertisement
Mourinho saved his best jibe for Manchester City and his old El Clasico sparring partner Pep Guardiola — claiming he could yet win a title with United if City — who face 115 Premier League charges of financial wrongdoing — are stripped of their 2017-18 crown, when his Red Devils were runners up.
Mourinho, wary of motivating tonight’s opponents too much, was selective in his criticism of United boss Erik ten Hag.
He merely stated United’s ‘potential was far higher than their results’ and noted the Old Trafford board had shown more patience with Ten Hag than they did with him.
There was also the assertion that United and another of his former clubs, Spurs, should be the two clear favourites to win the Europa League — given that the Premier League was ‘far superior in terms of quality, intensity and finance’ than any other league.
While claiming that he wishes United well and believes ‘they will succeed sooner or later, hopefully sooner before one day I go back to the Premier League’, Mourinho suggested it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he returns to England. But is that so?
Advertisement
He is already being criticised for negative football here, Fenerbahce lost their first major derby, 3-1 at home to leaders Galatasaray and were beaten in a Champions League play-off against Lille to end up in the Thursday night club.
Yet still Mourinho possesses the capacity to fascinate. Still, owners of Premier League club clubs, who should probably know better, will remain intrigued.
He said: “My relationship with Sir Alex was amazing, incredible, when my Netflix documentary comes out you will know more about the reasons I have so much respect for him. The ambassadorial role, I don’t know that situation. It doesn’t matter.
Advertisement
“Sir Alex has the most important thing: the love and respect of every Manchester United fan around the world. That is more important than a few more pounds he doesn’t need.”
It was very different when questions arrived from the Turkish media.
Jose Mourinho explains reason behind his Man Utd exit
By NEIL CUSTIS
JOSE MOURINHO says a lack of trust from the top denied him more success at Manchester United.
Advertisement
Mourinho spent two-and-a-half years in the Old Trafford hotseat, winning two trophies, reaching an FA Cup final and finishing second in the Premier League.
But he was sacked in December 2018 and believes he was not backed properly in the transfer market by then executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
Mourinho said: “What Erik ten Hag has in his time at United I didn’t.
“I didn’t have that level of support or trust.
Advertisement
“So I left sad, because I felt I was in the beginning of the process. I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience, things could be different.”
7
Mourinho gave signed shirts to a few English journalistsCredit: Reuters
Told that Fenerbahce were playing at a slower pace than last season, his response was simply: “That is your opinion and I respect it.” A line delivered with about as much respect as a cobra spitting venom from its fangs.
There were sarcastic swipes at TV pundits ‘the specialists have all the answers’. If they told Jose to play his misfiring attacking midfielder Sebastian Szymanski at left-back then perhaps he’d do so to avoid criticism.
Advertisement
When a TV reporter asked a perfectly-reasonable question, he was given a lecture about the need to stop showing endless replays of a ‘non-penalty’ incident involving Sofyan Amrabat, who will play tonight alongside a fellow former United midfielder, Fred.
That was the modern-day reality of Mourinho’s career — an argument over the use of TV footage in Turkish domestic football.
A spat he could never have imagined having when winning titles at Chelsea, Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter Milan or ruling the roost at the two most famous clubs on Earth, United and Real Madrid.
Yet at 61, something still motivates him to keep going.
Advertisement
Perhaps the prospect of returning to the Premier League — where press conferences now tend to be interminably dull and the whole soap opera is a need of a great brooding, anti-hero.
For now, he performs in a hut by the tradesman’s entrance and eats margarita pizza in his room.
But one day he thinks he’ll be back in the bright lights. Like Sinatra, he’ll never truly retire.
7
Advertisement
Aged 61, he is still a natural entertainerCredit: Reuters
7
Mourinho announced himself to United fans with his memorable run down the Old Trafford touchlineCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
7
The Portuguese gaffer led Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League gloryCredit: AFP
7
The Special One is living at the Four Seasons Hotel in IstanbulCredit: Free for editorial use
Watch Match of the Day analysis of how Barcelona’s trio of 21-year-old midfielders – Marc Casadó, Pedri and Fermín López – inspired the five-time winners to a fantastic 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich.
The sage of booking Mauricio Ruffy’s second UFC appearance continues.
Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is once again opponent-less for UFC 309 after Charlie Campbell (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) withdrew. The search is once again on to find a willing opponent for the Nov. 16 event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the change but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
The Fighting Nerds’ Ruffy dazzled fight fans in his UFC debut in May as he stalked and knocked out seasoned veteran Jamie Mullarkey inside the first round. Since then, the promotion has tried to book Ruffy for at least three different pay-per-view events (UFC 303, UFC 307, and now UFC 309) but have not found an opponent to make it to the cage.
Advertisement
With the change, the UFC 309 lineup includes:
Champ Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira
Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva
Paul Craig vs. Bo Nickal
Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
Mauricio Ruffy vs. TBA
Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Damon Jackson vs. Jim Miller
Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura
Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Mickey Gall
Bassil Haffez vs. Oban Elliot
Lucas Almeida vs. David Onama
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
The first UFC event of 2025 continues to build with the addition of a new flyweight matchup.
Jose Johnson and Felipe Bunes will square off at the UFC’s Fight Night event Jan. 11, expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the matchup Wednesday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Johnson (16-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) aims to bounce back from a June loss to Asu Almabayev. The defeat was his second in his three most recent outings.
Advertisement
Bunes (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is a former LFA champion who made his UFC debut in January when he lost by TKO to Joshua Van. The defeat dropped him to 3-2 in his most recent five.
With the addition, the UFC’s Jan. 11 lineup now includes:
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden
Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano
Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons
Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Match of the Day pundit Steph Houghton analyses how Savinho “grew into the game” to become a key part of Manchester City’s 5-0 win over Sparta Prague on match week three in the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester City are interested in Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, Xavi wants to take Raphinha from Barcelona if he becomes Manchester United boss, Antony the subject of Dutch interest.
Former Barcelona boss Xavi wants to take the Catalan club’s 27-year-old Brazil winger Raphinha to Old Trafford if he replaces Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Manchester United’s Brazilian winger Antony, 27, could be offered a route out of Old Trafford by his former club Ajax, but the Dutch giants are said to have some reservations about a deal. (De Telegraaf, via Mirror), external
Advertisement
Aston Villa are set to offer 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper Oliwier Zych a new contract amid reported interest from Arsenal and Brighton. (Football Insider), external
Real Madrid are planning to offer Liverpool and England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, a contract in the range of £14m-15m per year until the 2029-30 season. (Caught Offside), external
Pep Guardiola has asked Manchester City to pursue RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, 21, with the Manchester City boss keen to bring in the Frenchman next summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Advertisement
Barcelona and Arsenal are both firmly interested in 20-year-old Colombia and Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, and the Gunners could be better placed to sign him. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Newcastle are willing to listen to offers for 25-year-old English midfielder Joe Willock in January. (Ekrem Konur), external
You must be logged in to post a comment Login