Mourinho says his move to Fenerbahce will increase attention on Turkish league

Istanbul: Newly announced Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho said on Monday that his signing and reputation would bring more attention to the Turkish league, adding that his aim was to win the Super Lig and make it to the Champions League group stage next season.

Mourinho, 61, was unveiled as Fenerbahce manager in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans on Sunday. The Portuguese manager had been out of a job since being sacked by Italian Serie A side AS Roma in January.

Speaking at a press conference at Fenerbahce’s facilities in Istanbul, Mourinho said he was making “zero promises” apart from “huge commitment and passion, and work and empathy”, adding that his ambition in coming to Turkey was “to feel the heat”.

“One of the things is, I bring attention in with me. More people in Europe will follow the Turkish league,” Mourinho said. “I’m coming to work for Turkish football, for Turkish Super Lig. But fundamentally I come for Fenerbahce.

“My wish is that Turkish football improves at every level. But if I have to raise my voice to defend Fenerbahce I will not think twice,” he added, in an apparent reference to the club’s complaints over what it calls unfairness.

The Super Lig was marred by controversies last season, with a spate of violence and disputes overshadowing the narrow title fight between Fenerbahce and bitter rivals Galatasaray.

Galatasaray clinched the championship by three points last month on the final matchday of the season.

Mourinho said he hoped there would be a more balanced fight for the league title next season, after the two Istanbul rivals finished dozens of points clear of the remaining teams.

'I want that passion'

Mourinho said the upcoming European Championship would limit training and that he would be able to make squad changes only at the start of next season, adding that his main goals were winning the league and making the Champions League group stages, for which Fenerbahce will play playoffs.

He said he had zero interest in transferring players from his former clubs, including Argentinian midfielder Paulo Dybala and Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku from AS Roma.

“When people look at me — I did six finals, I won five of them — people think immediately big but I think we have to go step by step, and of course the qualifications and playoffs are going to be hard simply because we have no time to prepare,” he said.

Speaking alongside Mourinho, club chairman Ali Koc said they would not announce any new transfers before holding chairmanship elections next weekend, where Koc and former club chairman Aziz Yildirim will run for the position.

“There are players we are talking to, Jose Mourinho has not got involved yet. Once he gets involved too, the appeal will increase. Fenerbahce is now a centre of attraction,” Koc said.

Asked how he would teach fans to be patient, after the club’s failure to win a championship for more than a decade, Mourinho said the fans had to be “crazy” and “demanding”.

“You can’t teach what doesn’t belong to the culture and that is what makes it fun,” he said. “I want that passion.”