Jose Mourinho should return to the Premier League after Fenerbahce exit

Jose Mourinho’s exit from Fenerbahce has caught everyone off guard, but it might be exactly what the Premier League needed. The Turkish club confirmed his departure after they crashed out of Champions League qualifying, losing 1-0 to Benfica on Wednesday night. Now the big question is which English club will move fast enough to snap him up.

The 62-year-old lasted just over a year in Istanbul before things went sour. That defeat to Benfica was the final straw after what can only be described as a frustrating campaign for both manager and club.

Turkish adventure falls flat

Mourinho rocked up at Fenerbahce in June 2024 with his usual swagger, promising to bring glory back to one of Turkey’s biggest clubs. On paper, second place in the league doesn’t look that bad, but losing out to bitter rivals Galatasaray stung badly. This is Turkey for you.

The cup competitions were even worse. They got knocked out of the Europa League on penalties by Rangers in the Round of 16 — hardly the European pedigree Fenerbahce fans were expecting when they signed the Special One. The domestic cup was another disappointment, going out at the quarter-final stage.

You could sense Mourinho’s growing frustration throughout the season. He had made comments about preferring to work with smaller English clubs that don’t have the pressure of European football — almost like he was already plotting his escape route.

Premier League clubs should be circling

The timing couldn’t be better for certain Premier League sides. Take West Ham — Graham Potter’s having a mare there and the pressure’s mounting after some truly awful results. The Hammers faithful are already getting restless, and who could blame them?

Imagine swapping Potter for Mourinho. Sure, he’s not the same manager who dominated with Chelsea first time around, but he is still Jose Mourinho. Yes, he has declined, but the man still knows how to win things, knows how to handle big personalities, and most importantly, he gets the Premier League.

His last London gig at Spurs didn’t exactly end in glory, but that’s ancient history now. Sometimes clubs need that shot in the arm that only a manager of Mourinho’s stature can provide.

Why English football suits him

Let’s be honest — Mourinho was cut out for Premier League. The mind games, the press conferences, the drama. It’s where he’s always been at his best, even when things went wrong.

His spells at Chelsea, United and Tottenham might have had mixed endings, but you can’t argue with his understanding of what makes English football tick. He adapts his tactics, he knows the players, and he definitely knows how to wind up the opposition.

The Turkish experiment is over, but Mourinho’s story is nowhere near finished.