Jose Mourinho angered by questions after Fenerbahce draw
Jose Mourinho did not take kindly to reporters' questions following Fenerbahce's 2-2 draw at Samsuns
Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho expressed frustration with local media on Sunday after his side's 2-2 draw against Samsunspor, a result that saw them lose further ground in the race for the Super Lig title, with leaders Galatasaray extending their lead.
Read full articleDuring the post-match press conference, Mourinho aired his annoyance at being repeatedly questioned about players who were not part of the matchday squad, instead of focusing on those who played.
The draw was particularly disappointing as Fenerbahce conceded a late equalizer, costing them crucial points in their pursuit of the title.
When asked by a reporter why certain players weren’t selected, Mourinho, who took charge of Fenerbahce this summer, responded sarcastically: "I'm starting to understand how things work in Turkey. I’m surprised you haven’t asked why goalkeeper Irfan [Can Eğribayat] isn’t playing or why [forward] Cenk Tosun isn’t starting. It seems like you’re always more interested in those who don’t play."
Mourinho also defended his decision to consistently start Serbian forward Dušan Tadić, who netted his fifth league goal of the season on Sunday and has also provided four assists in eight games.
"For me, Tadić has been our best player in recent matches—not just because he scores, but because of the balance and organisation he brings to the team. He doesn’t make positional or decision-making errors," Mourinho explained. "If you don’t want me to play him and prefer someone who hasn’t featured much, fine."
The Portuguese coach stopped short of offering too many details about his selection decisions, emphasizing the need to protect his players from public scrutiny. "It’s difficult for me to give more reasons without publicly analyzing my players. I need to protect them and avoid discussing why one plays and another doesn't. But I understand it’s part of your culture... every week there’s a cry for me to play [midfielder] Irfan Kahveci, who came on as a substitute today. But sometimes players you think are phenomenal make critical mistakes for the team."
Mourinho is on a mission to end Fenerbahce’s 10-year title drought this season. The club narrowly missed out on the Super Lig title last year, finishing just three points behind rivals Galatasaray despite losing only one game all season.
This season, Fenerbahce are fourth in the league, eight points behind Galatasaray, though they do have a game in hand. In addition to their domestic campaign, they are also competing in the Europa League, where they are set to face Manchester United, one of Mourinho’s former clubs, on Thursday.
