José Mourinho speaks on Alex Ferguson’s advice, why he’s not ready for Portugal job, being “in trouble” in UEFA competitions

The day after Fenerbahçe drew 1-1 with Manchester United in Istanbul, José Mourinho sat down with a close colleague from Britain’s Sky Sports News to discuss his new life in Türkiye.

Mourinho spoke on a range of topics, including his sense that he is being targeted whenever he participates in UEFA Competitions, as well as revisiting the possibility of becoming Portugal manager one day.

Fener’s draw with United saw Mourinho’s home side come from behind to earn a much-deserved draw, with the Portuguese boss insisting after the match that it was the English giants who battled for a point. Speaking to trusted Sky Sports journalist Gary Cotterill, with whom Mourinho shares a close relationship, the former Porto man began by reflecting on life in the transcontinental city of Istanbul.

“Istanbul is amazing, I live in Europe, I go every day to Asia to training, then I come back to Europe to sleep, which is a unique situation,” he said. “The bridge connects Istanbul’s European side to the Asian side. I live in Europe, my club is in Asia – my training ground is in Asia. I live here, I cross to the other side. It’s not dramatic. It’s less time than I used to do in London with Chelsea.

“I don’t think in England people realise how big Fenerbahçe is. 35 million fans just in the country, and how many around the world! It’s a huge club that, for some reasons I don’t want to speak about, hasn’t won [the league] for ten years. Great president, amazing fanbase, lots of good coaches, good players. And for more than ten years the title isn’t coming. I don’t want to speak about it.

“In the league we lost against Galatasaray in one of these matches where the winner becomes the best team in the world – and they’re not – and the loser becomes the worst team in the world and it’s not. It’s just the way it is. Italy is very similar with the derbies; Portugal is very similar with the derbies. In England it’s different. But in these kind of cultures, it has a different dimension.

“The match yesterday [against United] was a pleasure for me to see what every coach wants to see. Which is when what you prepare is what you see. Because sometimes you prepare things and then you don’t see it, so it looks like we didn’t work. In this match the feeling was the preparation was very good, the players played at their maximum level, because there is a difference of quality, so for us it was a great feeling to compete the way we did against Manchester United.”

Memorable words from Sir Alex

Mourinho has regularly admitted that he sleeps at the club’s facilities – a point he touched on during the interview, after which he cited words from Sir Alex Ferguson when the pair convened after a match. “I stayed so many times at the training ground. Sometimes it’s easier. Last night we left the stadium at 1am so I went to the training ground and slept there so I would be there for training in the morning.

“Am I glad I’ve not lost that? I can’t lose it, because if you lose it then it’s better to stop. I always remember - and I tell my young assistants many times the story - I went with Real Madrid to Old Trafford in Champions League quarter-final, big match. Sir Alex [Ferguson] invited me to his office before the game.

“We were looking at each other quite relaxed, but we were not relaxed. And I asked him: “Sir Alex, does it change with age? Does it change with the years? Does the feeling change? And he told me “no, it doesn’t change” and it doesn’t change, the feelings are exactly the same. And I think that’s a good thing.”

"I am in trouble in Europe"

Mourinho caused somewhat of a stir in the British media following the Fenerbahçe-United clash by suggesting he was intent on joining a Premier League club which was not participating in European competition. Whilst dismissing the notion of ever being interested in a relegation fight in England, Mourinho did re-emphasise his concern that he is the target of officials when it comes to UEFA competitions.

“The feeling is…..I am in trouble in Europe. I lost a final [Roma-Sevilla] in a way that I still don’t accept. And since then, I feel it. We were knocked out by Lille from the Champions League with a VAR penalty in minute 94 that only the VAR saw. Yesterday [against United] the referee was amazing to see me screaming like everyone else without swearing that it was a penalty, and I get a red card.

“I know it’s a battle that I can never win. But I feel that it is unfair, in the sense that in football when you have to be punished you are punished. But then after you have been punished, it’s clean sheet. It starts from zero. But it didn’t. Do I deserve better? No, I deserve to be like anybody else. It doesn’t matter if you are Ancelotti or a young coach who has just started.

“Ancelotti has to behave the same way as the young kid. That’s what I want for myself and that’s what I’m not getting. I don’t want special treatment, I want to have honest treatment. So if I do something wrong, punish and pay for the punishment. If I do something wrong, leave me in peace. But since that Budapest final, it’s getting difficult. I’m not in a period of my career to be upset, I’m in a period to be happy all the time. In this moment in European competitions, I’m getting upset all the time.”

Portugal not on the horizon

Finally, the Setúbal native spoke briefly about contact with the Portuguese Football Federation over the position of national team manager. Mourinho has admitted previously that he turned down an approach while in charge of Roma, only to be sacked by the Italians not long after. For now, the prospect of Mourinho coaching the Seleção seems one for further down the line.

“Portugal I had on the table three times, but I never got it. One day, yes I think so. But honestly, and I think you felt it yesterday, [I have] too much energy to play one game per month. What would I do in the month? I need to play matches. It’s something I would like to do, to have an experience to play a World Cup or a Euro. Represent a country, my country or a country I feel deeply connected.

“One day I think it will come, but not now. I still love too much what I do.”

By @SeanGillen9