Fenerbahce vs Trabzonspor: Jose Mourinho sets eyes on victory over fierce rivals
Fenerbahce's coach Jose Mourinho during UEFA Europa League football match between Fenerbahce and Manchester United at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Oct. 24, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Fenerbahce’s Jose Mourinho did not enjoy a particularly outstanding start to his career in Türkiye as his side suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of their most fierce rivals Galatasaray. However, the Portuguese head coach seems determined to be on the winning side of the Fenerbahce vs Trabzonspor clash, a derby that has had a fiery history.
“I am Fenerbahce,” exclaimed a rejuvenated Mourinho following a 2-0 win over Bodrum on Sunday. “I personally don’t (worry about) what happened last season. We are going to (Trabzon) to win the match.”
Mourinho will be looking to galvanize the likes of Youssef En Nesyri, Edin Dzeko, Dusan Tadic and Allan Saint-Maximin on the attack as he looks to overcome the Black Sea region rivals.
Offensive firepower at ready
Dzeko will be looking to add to his 10 goals in all competitions so far this season while Tadic will try to cause more chaos and increase his tally of six goals and seven assists.
Mourinho and Dzeko have had differing ideas on Fenerbahce’s struggles so far in the season. Fenerbahce’s head coach had suggested that fatigue was a key reason for the club’s inconsistent performance, saying rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas had more rest after their European matches.
In response, Dzeko made it clear that fatigue should not hold back a club as big as Fenerbahce.
Big game mentality
Mourinho had drawn criticism from fans before the Galatasaray game as he said it was “just another match” for him. His team went on to lose 3-1 at home to their arch-rivals. This time around he has been instilling the importance of the upcoming game into his players, according to local sources.
With a difficult 1-1 draw against UEFA European League rivals Manchester United – who just this week fired their Manager Erik ten Hag to hire former Mourinho pupil Ruben Amorim – and a comfortable 2-0 win over Bodrum in the league, things do look on the up for Fenerbahce.
The Yellow Canaries currently sit in third place in the Turkish Super Lig, 8 points off the leader Galatasaray, with a game to play. Trabzonspor has had a bumpy start to the season as it is in ninth place with 12 points from nine games.
