When Mourinho was unveiled as Fenerbahce manager in June 2024, he promised supporters the yellow-and-navy shirt would become his “skin” and their dreams would also be his.
But things didn’t turn out that way.
Just over a year later, both sides are parting ways in disappointment. The Portuguese coach has been sacked after failing to deliver success at a club still chasing its first league title since 2014.
Talks over compensation are continuing. One club source told BBC Sport Mourinho could receive about 9m euros (£7.8m), with his assistants due an additional 2m euros (£1.7m) – although nothing has been settled at this stage.
For Fenerbahce’s board and supporters, the expectation had been clear – end an 11-year title drought and stop arch-rivals Galatasaray’s dominance.
Instead, Mourinho’s tenure brought no trophies, no derby victories, and mounting criticism over his team’s performances.
Mourinho was accused of playing uninspiring football, while several players who had excelled the previous season struggled under his management. His increasingly public clashes with the club hierarchy over transfers added further strain.
Before this week’s Champions League play-off against Benfica, Mourinho suggested the club had not shown enough urgency in the transfer market.
“If the Champions League was truly vital for the club, something would have been done between the Feyenoord and Benfica matches,” he said.
With presidential elections expected in September, president Ali Koc and his board decided the relationship could not continue.
Mourinho, who has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs, arrived in Turkey with huge fanfare. But for Fenerbahce fans, who had hoped his appointment would end years of frustration, his short reign has proved another false dawn.
