Jose Mourinho sarcastically described the referee in the match between Fenerbahce and Manchester United as “one of the best in the world” after the 62-year-old was sent off for protesting a decision in the second half of the UEFA Europa League clash. Mourinho felt his Fenerbahce side should have been awarded a penalty and was shown a red card for his remonstration on the touchline.
Jose Mourinho took aim at the referee in a remarkable post-match interview after his Fenerbahce side recovered to draw 1-1 with Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League.
The 61-year-old was incredulous on the touchline when what he felt was a penalty was not awarded before he was sent off for his protests.
The hosts’ right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel was swiped at by United’s makeshift number 10 Noussair Mazraoui, before Manuel Ugarte bundled the Nigerian over in the box.
Mourinho was livid with the referee Clement Turpin and made his feelings clear.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the dramatic encounter, Mourinho was asked about the incident and said: “I don’t want to speak about it.
“He [the referee] told me something incredible. He told me at the same time he could see the action in the box and my behaviour on the touchline.
“I congratulate him because it is absolutely incredible. His peripheral vision during the game, 100 miles per hour, he had one eye on the penalty situation, and he had one eye on the bench and my behaviour.
“That’s the explanation he gave me. That’s why he’s one of the best referees in the world.”
The Portuguese head coach, who was facing his former employers, claimed Erik ten Hag’s visitors were fortunate to escape Istanbul with a point.
“They got a point against us,” Mourinho said.
“Not us against them. We played amazing. I was telling the players that if they play like this in the Turkish league, we destroy every team. We played against a team that is a superior level than us. Of course, the Premier League has more quality, more intensity, more pace, more everything. I think my boys did an amazing match.
“Probably, in England, people will speak about two or three players of Man United that didn’t play. You don’t know how many of ours didn’t play. For a start, we have four players out of the Europa League list, and then we have injuries, and then we have to finish the game with a centre-back playing right-back, a right-back playing left-back. We had to do a crazy puzzle.
“Our performance was extraordinary. I couldn’t ask anything more from the players. Onana made two incredible saves in our fantastic initial period, because we started the game so well. They scored in a situation we knew that they could because of the pace of their wingers and the arrival of the midfield players was something that we knew that they could hurt us. We had a phenomenal performance.”
Andre Onana pulled off an incredible double save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri in the first half, and even Mourinho in the opposing dugout was impressed with the Cameroonian’s reflexes.
“[Onana] saved the result,” Mourinho said.
“My goalkeeper didn’t make a save. He made two impossible saves in ten seconds. I think he’s the most decisive player in the result. Of course, he didn’t make 20 saves, but he made two saves that were incredible.”
United manager Ten Hag was criticised for his decision to deploy natural full-back Mazraoui as a No. 10 in place of the suspended Bruno Fernandes, but Mourinho said he could see the logic.
“[Mazraoui can play as a ten], and the coach knows him well,” Mourinho said. “He coached him at Ajax, where he played in that position. I understood what he was trying.
“[Joshua] Zirkzee is a striker that I know very well from my Italian time. He’s a striker that drops back all the time, attracting defenders or not. Then the wingers attack the space and Mazraoui is also a runner and a guy that can attack spaces. I know the English media, I know you are going to say that Man United didn’t play well, but I think it would be fair to say that we did an extraordinary match, and were better than them. So a good result for Man United.”
When asked about his future return to England upon the conclusion of his Fenerbahce contract, the Portuguese boss said that he would be “ready to go” back to the Premier League.
Mourinho, who has a two-year contract at Fenerbahce that runs until the summer of 2026, said, via the Athletic: “Best thing I can do is to go to a team who does not play in UEFA competitions.
“So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I am ready to go. I don’t want to speak any more about it.”
