Mourinho: I Will Never Coach a Team Fighting Relegation; I Should Be Treated Fairly

In an interview with Sky Sports, Mourinho expressed his desire to lead Fenerbahçe to success and his belief that he should be treated fairly in European competitions.

Mourinho is eager to find success with Fenerbahçe in Turkey and hopes to return to the Premier League one day, but he finds it difficult to accept UEFA's "special treatment." "This is a battle I can never win. It feels that way; I have trouble in Europe. I lost a final in a way I still cannot accept, and since then, I’ve felt this way," Mourinho said, referring to the UEFA Europa League final in May 2023, where his Roma side lost to Sevilla. Referee Anthony Taylor denied Roma a penalty appeal, leading to Mourinho yelling at him in the parking lot of the Puskas Arena. The incident was filmed and went viral, resulting in Mourinho receiving a four-match ban.

"I feel this is unfair because in football, when you need to be punished, you will be punished, but after being punished, you should be innocent. It should start from zero, but it hasn't. We were eliminated by Lille in the Champions League qualifiers, with a VAR penalty awarded in the 94th minute that only VAR saw."

Of course, there was also what happened on Thursday night. "I was just shouting, like everyone on the bench and in the stands, 'That's a penalty! That's a penalty!' without any insulting remarks, and then I was shown a red card."

Mourinho stated, "I know this is a battle I can never win. What I want is fair treatment." When asked if he believes he deserves better treatment considering his significant achievements in European competitions, he insisted, "No, no. I should be treated like everyone else."

"On the pitch, whether you're Lionel Messi or a young player making their debut, the rules are the same. The same goes for coaches. Whether you're Ancelotti or a young coach just starting, the expectations for Ancelotti must be the same as those for young coaches."

Mourinho is the only coach to have won the Champions League, Europa League, and the Europa Conference League. "That's my expectation of myself, and that's what I haven't received. I don't want special treatment; I want fair treatment. That's it. So if I do something wrong, punish me, but if I haven't done anything wrong, please let me have peace, but that becomes increasingly difficult."

After Fenerbahçe's match against Manchester United, Mourinho joked that he would return to the Premier League to coach a lower-tier team. After the Europa League draw with Manchester United and receiving a red card, he told reporters that his next job must be coaching a club in England that does not compete in European competitions.

However, for fans of lower-tier Premier League teams, there's bad news. Mourinho would never lead a team fighting relegation. "I was joking," he said. "I would never go to a team fighting relegation. I will never go."

He further explained why he feels this way. "I would be angry, and at this stage of my career, I shouldn't be angry. At this stage of my career, I should be happy, and I have been angry while participating in European competitions. I won't fight relegation. That's too hard! Honestly, I believe that's probably the most difficult thing. It's even harder than fighting for the championship. Emotionally, it must be incredibly tough because it would change my life. I think those who do this are brave."

When asked about how his decision would be a blow to many supporters, Mourinho jokingly said, "Millwall. I could consider coaching Millwall; that club is close to my home, just across a bridge. Millwall could be!"

Regarding whether his football home is in the Premier League, Mourinho stated, "I've coached three clubs in England; I've gone through four different coaching spells in England, and I've loved those times. From a social perspective, I've been lucky to live in so many cities, but my family is in London. London is my home, so one day I must go back unless no one wants me. But if that day comes, I want to go back. But don’t get me wrong; we are very, very clear that in the next two years, this season and next season, no one will take me away from Fenerbahçe."

Mourinho clearly enjoys his time in Istanbul. He looks relaxed, slim, and a bit tanned. "Istanbul is fantastic," he smiled. "I live in Europe, train in Asia every day, then go back to Europe to sleep. The bridges connect the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. I live in Europe; my club is in Asia. My training ground is in Asia. I leave from here to go to the other side. It's not an exaggeration. It takes less time than it takes me to get from London to Cobham (Chelsea's training ground). If one day I’m unlucky and the bridge is closed, I’ll take a boat to the other side. Just eight minutes, and then another ten minutes to the training ground."

Mourinho often spends the night at the training ground, and his passion for work remains strong. "I often stay there. That's normal. I can't lose that desire and hunger because if you lose those, it's better to stop. I always remember going to Old Trafford for an important Champions League match with Real Madrid, and Sir Alex Ferguson invited me to his office before the game. We looked at each other, seemingly relaxed, but we weren't relaxed. I asked him, 'Sir Alex, will you change as you grow older? Will that feeling change over time?' He told me, 'No! The feeling doesn’t change.'"

Now, Mourinho believes Sir Alex was right. He said, "The feeling doesn’t change. It feels exactly the same, and I think that's a good thing."

That's why the draw against Manchester United last week did not feel bad for Mourinho. He said, "For me, playing against Manchester United is a joy; in that match, I saw what every coach wants to see, which is to see what I prepared. Sometimes what you prepare, you can’t see, but (on Thursday) the players performed at their highest level because there’s a difference in strength between the two leagues and the two teams."

"For me, it’s a wonderful feeling to see everyone in the dressing room sad about the result because usually if you get a point from Manchester United, you’re happy. We might have surprised some people because sometimes people draw conclusions without seeing the truth. In one season, I led Real Madrid to 105 goals, and we were considered a defensive and counter-attacking team."

When asked if there's a connection between him and the England national team, Mourinho replied, "No."

Is this a job he’s interested in? He insisted, "Not today. I still have too much energy; I need games every month; I need to play."

Regarding whether he would coach a national team in the future, Mourinho said, "Yes, I think that's something I want to do; I want the experience of participating in the World Cup, the European Championship. Coaching a national team, whether it's my country or a country I feel connected to. One day I feel that will come, but not now."

When rumors surfaced that he only eats the simplest food at his hotel in Istanbul, Mourinho laughed and said, "Fortunately, they told the truth! Rumors are sometimes false, so when they say I only drink soda, they forgot that sometimes I drink cola. When they say I always drink chicken soup, that's right; I always drink chicken soup."