Turkish giants Fenerbahce and Besiktas have sacked their managers, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after both clubs suffered disappointing European exits this week.
Mourinho’s departure comes just over a year after he took charge of Fenerbahce in June 2024.
The Portuguese coach guided the team to a second-place finish in the Super Lig last season but failed to deliver silverware, finishing 11 points behind champions Galatasaray.
Fenerbahce’s European struggles ultimately sealed his fate. After missing out on Champions League qualification last season, they suffered another setback this week, losing 1-0 on aggregate to Benfica in the play-off round. The club has now failed to reach the Champions League group stage since 2008–09.
In a statement, Fenerbahce said:
“Our first team’s technical director, Jose Mourinho, who has been carrying out his duties starting from the 2024–2025 season, has parted ways with us. We thank him for his efforts for our team until today and wish him success in his future career.”
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Despite these latest setback, Mourinho remains one of Europe’s most decorated coaches, having won Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan, three Premier League titles with Chelsea, and Europa League success with Manchester United in 2017. His last major trophy came with Roma in 2022, winning the UEFA Conference League.
Besiktas also parted ways with Solskjaer just eight months after appointing him in January.
The Norwegian led the club to a fourth-place finish last season but failed to secure European football after a 1-0 home defeat to Lausanne-Sport on Thursday confirmed a 2-1 aggregate loss in the Conference League play-offs.
“Our contract with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been terminated following a decision made at a board meeting,” Besiktas announced, with chairman Serdal Adali thanking him “for his services to date.”
The back-to-back sackings mark a turbulent week for Turkish football, leaving both Fenerbahce and Besiktas searching for new managers as they aim to revive their domestic and European ambitions.
