Fenerbahce president explains sacking of Jose Mourinho

Fenerbahce president Ali Koc has publicly explained the club's decision to dismiss Jose Mourinho, saying the manner of the team's elimination from the Champions League and a persistent defensive approach made a change unavoidable.

Mourinho, who was sacked on Aug. 29 after just over a year in charge, oversaw 62 matches, winning 37, drawing 14 and losing 11. Koc said the club's leadership and Mourinho had enjoyed a positive relationship but that the team's style of play and lack of offensive creativity were decisive factors in the parting.

"Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting," Koc told Hurriyet. "Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement. Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season."

Koc said the decisive moment was the way Fenerbahce were eliminated by Benfica in the Champions League play-off round, a 1-0 aggregate defeat. "Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue," he said. Koc added that the club believes its "genetic code" is to score and earn more — "Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code" — and that in the Turkish league Fenerbahce should be able to overwhelm most opponents.

Mourinho, one of the game's most decorated managers with previous spells at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma, did not win a trophy while at Fenerbahce. The team finished second in the domestic league in his first season but failed to beat any of the other top-five teams and lost both league and cup meetings with rivals Galatasaray, as well as home and away league matches against Besiktas.

Turkish outlet Spor Arena reported that tensions with the board had simmered after a disappointing campaign and that Mourinho had been perceived as preferring foreign players over some local options. The outlet said Mourinho often left players such as Ismail Yuksek and Irfan Can Kahveci on the bench, a practice that contributed to a breakdown in relations with the club hierarchy. Fenerbahce also missed out on generating significant transfer fees for players under Mourinho's management, and several signings failed to develop into standout performers.

Koc framed the decision as one taken with the club's football identity in mind: "We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."

The departure closes Mourinho's brief and trophyless chapter in Turkey and leaves Fenerbahce seeking a new coach to implement a more attacking philosophy that the president says is required for both domestic dominance and future European campaigns.