Ex-Italy head coach Spalletti on Fenerbahce list of Mourinho replacements

Former Italy national team head coach Luciano Spalletti is on the shortlist of potential replacements for Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce according to recent reports in Italy and Turkey.

Fenerbahce are on the hunt for a new head coach after dismissing the Special One on August 29, shortly after the club’s disappointing 1-0 aggregate defeat to Benfica, which cost the team a place in the 2025-26 edition of the Champions League.

According to reports from SportMediaset, also confirmed by Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Spalletti is among the list of potential candidates to replace Mourinho in Istanbul.

FLORENCE, ITALY – OCTOBER 07: Head coach Italy Luciano Spalletti speaks with the media during Italy press conference at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on October 07, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Among Fenerbahce’s list of alternatives are former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglu, and Sergio Conceicao following his six-month tenure with Milan.

Interestingly, Fenerbahce’s Presidential elections will take place in a few days’ time, and the choice of head coach will depend on which candidate lands the role of club President.

Sadettin Saran is a candidate to become the next Fenerbahce President, and has publicly declared his backing for Conceicao: “The decision on the new coach is of crucial importance a few days before our extraordinary assembly,” he said.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 27: Sergio Conceicao head coach of AC Milan during the Serie A match between Bologna and AC Milan at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on February 27, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“Our candidate is Sergio Conceicao, who is ready to join our club on better terms than our former coach Jose Mourinho.

“Conceicao’s ambitious and passionate character fits perfectly in line with the DNA of our club. We believe he can lead us to long-awaited success.”