I work with confidence, not with conflict

Fenerbahce boss Domenico Tedesco has taken a swipe at his predecessor Jose Mourinho by claiming he doesn’t like to work “with conflict.”

Mourinho was sacked in August, two games into the new Super Lig season, after just over a year in charge at the Istanbul giants.

He managed to pack a lot of controversy into the 14 months he was at Fener, frequently criticising the quality of Turkish referees, accusing the authorities of conspiring against him, being threatened with legal action by rivals Galatasaray for alleged racist remarks before then tweaking the nose of Gala boss Okan Buruk after the derby in April.

Tedesco brings calm to Fenerbahce

Mourinho, who joined Benfica a few weeks after his departure from Turkey, was replaced at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium by 40-year-old Italy-born Tedesco, who says his approach will be completely different.

He told German newspaper Bild: “I have great respect for Mourinho. But my style is different. I’m calmer and more introspective in communication. I prefer to work with confidence, not with conflict.”

Tedesco has lost just one of 13 games in charge of Fener – a 3-1 Europa League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb – and they sit a point behind Galatasaray after 12 games of the domestic league.

The former RB Leipzig and Belgium coach puts his success down to hard work.

He added: “I spent the first five weeks at the training centre. It was essential. I had a small room, with a bed, a closet, a TV and a tiny bathroom.

“Training started at 7am every day and we filled the whole day with games, training and analysis. As Istanbul traffic made it almost impossible to return home, it made more sense to sleep in the training centre.”

Fener visit Rizespor this weekend when the league resumes after the international break.