Jose Mourinho: “The Pain of Defeat Can Be a Source of Motivation”

Speaking before the match against Union SG in the Europa League, Fenerbahçe‘s head coach Jose Mourinho explained his absence from the post-derby press conference and discussed the Galatasaray match and its aftermath.

Here are Mourinho’s remarks:

WHY DIDN’T HE ATTEND THE POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE DERBY?

“I’m glad this question was asked because I was going to explain it. In my 24-year career, I’ve never avoided a press conference. I didn’t shy away from defeat. After our first league game, I said there’s no point in waiting 75 minutes for a press conference. Right after the match, I congratulated the coach, went to the flash interview, and then waited 75 minutes. I waited there and tried to enter, but they didn’t allow me.

I understand when the visiting team’s coach enters the press conference first, but we’re both teams from the same city. Like I did in Rize and Göztepe, I could go in first, but I can’t wait for 70-75-80 minutes.

I even made a joke, saying we started on Saturday and finished on Sunday. We started the press conference at 23:55, and it ended at night.

My absence from the conference that day had nothing to do with the result. Actually, I’m the one who felt disrespected.”

“THE DEFEAT THAT HURT US CAN TURN INTO A MOTIVATING FACTOR”

“Let’s start with the motivation part. When you lose a match, you feel pain. If you lose a derby, the pain triples. I can’t say we didn’t feel it; we’re professionals. We need to react. A big win won’t take me to the moon, and a big defeat won’t send me to hell. We need to take positive outcomes from this loss. Our players know they need to get out of this unhappy feeling. The only way to do that is by winning games.

The day after the derby, we were here at 10 in the morning. We did our analysis. We trained on Sunday and yesterday. When we look at it emotionally, the defeat that hurt us can become a source of motivation.

I had plans to rotate players game by game. What I’ll do tomorrow won’t be a simple rotation. I’m going to try to change some dynamics. We’ll rotate tomorrow, but not just for resting; it’s to field the best team we can.”

DECISION ON İRFAN CAN KAHVECİ

“I agree that İrfan Can Kahveci should play in the starting 11. He’ll play tomorrow.”

“I DON’T SEE THE RESULT BEING LINKED TO THE PRESIDENT”

“I believe we have a chance in all the competitions we’re in. Fans are always fans. As professionals, we must respect the fans. In today’s world, I think fans are being manipulated by social media. We are balanced. We need to maintain that balance. We are united. We give positive criticism within our group. I must say we live in a strange world. Football is a strange world. That day, the match started, it was played. Matches are played on the pitch. I don’t see the match result being linked to the president, the director, or the vice president. If you want to separate things, you need to be honest. You need to criticize the coach and the players.

There’s another team on the field, too; this shouldn’t be forgotten. I congratulate the referee for managing the game fairly. If anyone is to be criticized, it’s me and my players.”

“I will play with the best players I have to win the match. We had a great tactical training session. İrfan Can Kahveci won’t play just for rotation. He’s been working hard, very eager. Looking at the opponent, he’s well-suited for them. Tomorrow, 2-3 players from the bench will be on the field.”

STATEMENT ABOUT REACTIONS TOWARDS ALI KOÇ

“I don’t want to say anything on this subject. I am a professional at this club, which has millions of fans, and I have to respect them. We lost a match, and I understand that this wasn’t just a regular match. But as I said, the players are the ones playing on the field, and I influence them with my decisions. The president’s role is far beyond what happens on the pitch.”

A CALL TO THE FANS

The real question now is: Do they want to give us the best conditions? Do they want to give us that sense of peace, unity, and support as we head to Kadıköy so that we can build something and win? Or do they want to follow trends and, in doing so, create an atmosphere that divides us by taking away that peace and happiness from us? I think this is the main question. We, as professionals, will always respect them. No matter the situation, when we step onto the field for the match, we will do our best to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible.”