Tension between Fenerbahce president and Mourinho over fiery speech to players
Head Coach of Fenerbahce Jose Mourinho follows the Turkish Super Lig week 4 football match between Fenerbahce and Corendon Alanyaspor, Istanbul, Türkiye, August 30, 2024. (AA Photo)
Turkish sports media reported a contentious dispute between President Ali Koc and Coach Jose Mourinho following Fenerbahce‘s 3-1 loss to Galatasaray in the season’s opening derby.
According to reports, Koc allegedly entered the dressing room during intermission and made disparaging remarks about the team’s performance, which resulted in a severe altercation with Mourinho.
Several sources suggested that this incident directly led to Mourinho’s absence from the post-match press conference.
He made a first for himself by leaving the stadium in his private car instead of the team bus.
Reports suggest that Fenerbahce Vice President Acun Ilicali intervened in the situation as well.
The dynamics between the club’s leadership and its high-profile coach have been the subject of significant discussion within the Turkish football community as a result of this incident.
Fenerbahce refutes claims
However, Fenerbahce publicly refuted these claims. Following extensive media coverage of the allegations, the club issued a statement titled “Mandatory Disclosure.”
The statement read, “The claims and statements suggesting that our president, Ali Koc, went to the locker room during halftime of last night’s match and that a confrontation occurred are untrue. Our president did not leave the management box during halftime and had no communication with the locker room.”
