Portuguese coach José Mourinho has been dismissed as head coach of Fenerbahce, according to the Turkish club.
The decision comes just two days after the team failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage, after being defeated by Benfica in the play-off round.
Mourinho, 62 years old, took over the position at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
In the previous season, Fenerbahce finished in second place in the Super Lig, eleven points behind Galatasaray, their eternal rival.
The club issued an official statement that said: “We are parting ways with José Mourinho. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success in his future career.”
This news comes a day after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who replaced Mourinho as Manchester United coach in 2018, was fired by Besiktas, Fenerbahce’s rival in the Super Lig.
Mourinho arrived at Fenerbahce less than six months after being fired by the Italian club Roma, and after having previously managed Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
His time at the Turkish club was marked by controversy. Galatasaray announced that it would initiate legal action against Mourinho after accusing him of making “racist statements” following a goalless draw in February. The Portuguese coach denied the accusations and filed a lawsuit against the eventual champion.Mourinho was also a constant critic of refereeing in Turkey, and was sanctioned with a four-match suspension, later reduced to two, for his comments about the referees after the draw against Galatasaray.
In April, he received a three-match suspension for pinching the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk during an argument on the sidelines following Fenerbahce’s 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals.
Despite his successful career, which includes two Champions League titles, Mourinho failed to win any titles during his time in Istanbul.
In addition to being league runners-up and losing against Galatasaray in the national cup last season, their team was eliminated by Rangers in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
Fenerbahce started the new season by earning four points in their first two league matches.
However, the 1-0 defeat on aggregate against Benfica, after the defeat in the second leg in Lisbon on Wednesday night, relegated the club to the Europa League, which led to Mourinho’s dismissal.