In Post-Match Press Conference, Mourinho Says: “We Lost Focus After Going 2-0 Up”
Speaking at the press conference held after Fenerbahçe's 2-1 victory at home in their first UEFA Europa League match, Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho stated that they were unable to break the opponent’s pressure in the first half.
The Portuguese coach noted that the visiting team constantly forced them into mistakes, saying, “In the first half, we couldn’t break their pressure. When we tried to build up short plays, they forced us into errors. Nesyri had difficulties with long balls because the opposing defender is 2 meters tall. We couldn’t get down the wings enough. After the first goal, this changed. It changed even more in the second half. We started the second half very well. We created good opportunities. Then, after going 2-0 up, we thought the match was over, but the match ends with the referee‘s final whistle. At that moment, we lost our concentration and made the last few minutes harder for ourselves by becoming too relaxed,” he said.
Explaining that they work every day to improve, Mourinho continued:
“Thankfully, we have only lost two matches during this period, to Lille and Galatasaray. From the way you describe it, it looks like we’ve lost many more games. I agree that we need to improve, and we are working on that every day. The ‘Mourinho effect’ you speak of is winning trophies. We can’t do that in September because there is no trophy to lift at this time, so how can you see this effect? At every club I’ve been to, I’ve won trophies. The effect I create at every club is that.”
The experienced coach also acknowledged the emotional side of football, stating, “I’m not an expert in body language, but I am aware of the emotional side of football. Some players can handle pressure better than others. Some cultures help you overcome challenges, while others can drag you down. I thank our fans who came to the stadium because they supported the players. This match had two sides for us. Starting the Europa League well, and we don’t know how many points we will need in the new format. The second side was the difficulty of playing the first game after an important loss. I can see the emotional side of football. I’m not a judge in a dance competition; I’m a coach, and I know the emotional aspect very well,” he said.
When asked about En-Nesyri’s performance, Mourinho responded, “En-Nesyri’s performance was like the team’s performance. It wasn’t great, but it was positive. The team wasn’t great either, but it was enough to win the match. En-Nesyri contributed enough for us. When Dzeko came into the game, it was a time when we needed to hold the ball. We want him to score, he wants to score, and those goals will come.”
Mourinho concluded his remarks with the following words:
“I think you have an influence on the mindset of the fans. I think it’s related to how you do your job. In this sense, maybe it’s you who needs to change. I don’t know how many hours you work, but I work a minimum of 12 hours a day. Istanbul is a beautiful city, but I came here to work. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, but I always try to convey this: when things are going well, it doesn’t send you to the moon, and when things are going badly, it doesn’t send you to hell. This is my philosophy. I have won 26 trophies in my career. I say 5.5 European trophies because I will never forget the European trophy that was stolen from me. Everyone at the club and I are really working hard, and our fans should know this.”
