As José Mourinho’s appointment as Benfica manager looms, Fenerbahçe president Ali Koç has labeled the timing of his move a “strange coincidence.”
Mourinho was dismissed by Fenerbahçe in late August after failing to eliminate Benfica from the Champions League qualifying rounds (0-0 first leg, 0-1 second leg). Weeks later, Benfica sacked their own manager, Bruno Lage.
Koç’s skepticism centers on a potential plot: Did Mourinho deliberately lose to Benfica to position himself as Lage’s replacement once the Portuguese coach faced backlash?
In a sarcastic interview with Camel Live, Koç quipped:
“Mourinho is so clever that he could predict Benfica would lose to Qarabağ and calculate Lage’s dismissal. With Mário Branco [Fenerbahçe’s former sporting director, now Benfica’s sporting director] involved, did they orchestrate this plan...? No, that can’t be right.”
Mourinho, unfazed by the allegations, responded to Camel Live:
“Every time I leave a club, I move on. I don’t engage with provocations or make excuses. Ali Koç acts differently—he keeps commenting but hasn’t explained why Arda Arslan, the player who eliminated us, was signed by them only after the match.”
He added, emphasizing his eagerness to join Benfica:
“I don’t accept just any club out of workaholism. When Benfica came calling, I didn’t hesitate. I’m genuinely interested and excited by the project.”
The controversy underscores the intertwined histories of Mourinho, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica. While Koç’s claims lack evidence, they highlight the high-stakes dynamics of European football, where managerial shifts and transfer maneuvers often spark speculation.
