Jose Mourinho Discusses Transfer Satisfaction and Team Readiness Before Lugano Match

Mourinho expressed his satisfaction with the transfers made for the team: “I am very happy with the work the club has done during the transfer period. Actually, looking at the current situation, I couldn’t ask for more from them. Of course, if a new player joins us, that’s good, but if not, I am happy with the players we have.”

In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round against Switzerland’s Lugano tomorrow, Fenerbahçe’s manager Jose Mourinho said they want to advance and is curious about the atmosphere the fans will create.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Fenerbahçe Can Bartu Facilities, Mourinho stated, “Every match is a new match. Every year is a new year, and every tournament is a new tournament. I’ve always looked at my career this way. I don’t look at what I’ve done in the past. I have 150-160 maybe 170 matches in Europe, but I look at tomorrow as if it’s my first match because motivation is something that can be renewed every day.

Regarding a question about conceding three goals in the first match, the experienced coach said:

“My solution is to work, there’s nothing else to do. We need to analyze, first through video, then we prepare clips and show them to the players, and we do these exercises on the field. We’ve done 35 training sessions, but the whole team could only train together for 2-3 sessions. We analyze, but we need to consider the situations we are in. My players are doing their best.”

Recalling that Allan Saint-Maximin couldn’t play in the first match due to injury, the 61-year-old coach said, “His ankle wasn’t in good condition. It’s still not in the best condition. He wasn’t training in Saudi Arabia; he joined us from vacation. He is continuing his pre-season training. Youssef En-Nesyri wasn’t with us today either. He also came from vacation and hadn’t done his pre-season training. The challenge we faced was the late arrival of some players. My players are doing a good job. Maximin isn’t in a condition to play for 90 minutes, but of course, he is in a condition to play,” he said.

“I’m happy with the players I have”

Jose Mourinho expressed that they have done good work during the transfer period and is satisfied with the players he has.

Mourinho explained that the club has made excellent moves in a difficult transfer period and added:

“Both the president, our sporting director, and Acun Ilıcalı have done a great job. I might complain that some transfers were delayed, but I can’t because this is the nature of the transfer period. Looking at the current situation, I couldn’t ask for more from them. I am happy with the players I have. The issue that upsets me is the players I have to send away. Everyone has done their best, but this is the nature of the job. It’s impossible to work with 29 players plus goalkeepers in the team. I don’t want anyone to be the third or fourth option. Two options are enough. Players should know they will play. Umut Nayir left on his own; he is a good player and a great character. I wish him all the best. What we need to do is find solutions to move out the players we have.”

Expressing that he wants to play players like Dusan Tadic and İrfan Can Kahveci closer to the center forward position, the Portuguese manager said, “We transferred Maxi. He is a pure left-wing player. Also, Oğuz is a fast and young player. When bringing in these players, we wanted quality players like Tadic and İrfan to move inside and play closer to the forward. When they move inside, I want players like Mert and Osayi-Samuel to use their attributes in the front,” he said.

Mourinho concluded his words by saying that although new transfers have joined the team, they will need time:

“En-Nesyri continues his physical training separately from the team. The fact that he won’t be able to play tomorrow has already given us time. Oğuz and Maxi joined last week, but they are doing their best to understand how we play. I am happy, even if we are not in the ideal situation, our goal in tomorrow’s match is to survive, overcome, and advance. I had heard that our fans create a very special atmosphere in Fenerbahçe’s European matches, and we want to see the truth of that tomorrow.”