Jose Mourinho has officially returned to management after agreeing a deal to take over Turkish side Fenerbahce.
In one of the worst kept secrets in football, the Portuguese football coach, who was sacked as Roma boss in January, was officially confirmed during his unveiling by the Turkish team on Sunday evening.
Mourinho has made no secret of his appointment to the team that finished second to Galatasaray this season, despite finishing on 99 points.
In an earlier video on Fenerbahce’s social media accounts on Saturday, he said: ‘Merhaba (Hello) Fenerbahce fans. See you tomorrow at Kadikoy and let’s start our journey together.’ He is also pictured on their social media accounts as he landed in Turkey today and was on his way to get his deal signed.
The appointment comes 20 years to the day Mourinho was first unveiled as Chelsea manager, saying he was the ‘special one’.
Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as the next manager of Turkish giants Fenerbahce
Mourinho touched down in Turkey today after revealing yesterday he was on course to get a deal signed today
Fenerbahce president Ali Koc, Mourinho and his entourage left the airport in Istanbul by helicopter
Fenerbahce fans greeted Mourinho at Istanbul airport with great excitement over the recruitment
Thousands of fans then gathered at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium to greet Mourinho at his official presentation
Fenerbahce finished second in the Turkish Super Lig last season, behind rival Galatasaray
On Sunday, Mourinho gave a thumbs up and wave as he arrived at Istanbul airport, where he was greeted by the club’s fans.
Mourinho and his entourage, together with Fenerbahçe president Ali Koc, left the airport again by helicopter.
They headed to Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, where thousands of fans greeted Mourinho at his official presentation as the club’s new manager.
The Turkish side have been posting regular updates throughout the day following Mourinho’s arrival, with much excitement about having one of the greatest managers of this century at the helm of their club.
Mourinho also confirmed the news on Saturday evening during TNT Sports’ Champions League coverage.
When asked by Laura Woods if he was close to closing a deal to become Fenerbahce’s next manager, the 61-year-old told TNT Sports: “I would say maybe tomorrow I’ll go on a trip.”
He also told Rio Ferdinand that the most famous person in his phone book was the president of Fenerbahce.
Mourinho also greeted Bellingham and his family after the match and appeared to take a photo with his mother, Denise.
The 20-year-old had comically exposed his mother’s crush on the Portuguese manager after asking if they could take a photo.
Mourinho previously confirmed he would fly to Turkey during TNT Sports’ coverage of the Champions League final
Bellingham was heard hilariously saying to Mourinho during TNT’s live broadcast: “Sorry about that, my mother has liked you for years.”
But in response, Mourinho had two requests of his own, joking that Bellingham should ‘come to Fenerbahce now’ after confirming he was in talks with the Turkish team.
He then asked the Madrid star to go easy on the Turkish team if their paths crossed in next season’s Champions League.
Mourinho will be tasked with bringing glory back to Istanbul, and his record speaks for itself.
Mourinho was sacked by Roma in January after previously leading them to the Europa Conference League
The appointment comes 20 years to the day Mourinho said he was the ‘special one’ after being unveiled at Chelsea
Despite leaving Roma earlier this year after poor form, he previously won the Europa Conference League with the club.
He had previously shared his thoughts on Fener’s difficult route to reaching the Champions League group stages after failing to take top spot in the competition last season.
“It’s difficult because there are still three qualifying rounds to go,” he told Sky Sports. ‘And in the case of Fenerbahce, there are eight players in the European Championship and they do not come to the preparation for the first round.
‘But when I go, you know I like challenges. So if I go, we will fight to get into the Champions League.”
Mourinho has gone trophyless in only one of his last seven managerial positions, at Tottenham.
He has won several league titles in his career, triumphing in England with Chelsea, Italy with Inter Milan and Spain with Real Madrid. In his last match against Inter in 2010, he also took home the Champions League trophy.
Mourinho is said to have made around £80million from his dismissal during his career. Reports say he pocketed £3million after being sacked by Roma, around £16million less than when he lost his job at Manchester United.
