José Mourinho commented on Fenerbahçe’s next match, also looking back on their last meeting against AZ. The Portuguese coach was present for the analysis of the Fenerbahçe match against Sivasspor on the 12th day of the Turkish League. He began by looking at the team’s recent defeat against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League:
“I can say it was our worst performance since I arrived. It was a very bad match, and I think maybe it’s not a very good analogy, but we can make a comparison with the effect of the match against Trabzonspor, the effect of that night. The team had not yet recovered from this match. It was indeed an incredible match, both physically and emotionally, with many ups and downs. Emotionally, there was a huge explosion at the end of the match. It felt like the team hadn’t quite recovered from that state and couldn’t concentrate on the match against AZ Alkmaar. When we are not emotionally prepared, it is clear that things become more difficult for us. I don’t think not being on the bench affected the result much, because we had already prepared the team in the best possible way. I think we’re ready, but, as I mentioned, the emotional state of the players, I think those ups and downs play a role in that. At the same time, four players could not be included on the list. Kostić is one of them. He is a very important player for us. Our two most important full-backs, Irfan Can Kahveci and Cengiz Ünder, are injured. This of course makes a difference. There are reasons for this result, but, as I stated before, I think it was our worst game so far. It is clear that coaches are always responsible for such poor performances. I’m not shying away from my responsibility either, but for me it’s a matter of principle. I have always done this in my career.
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The Portuguese coach also discussed his suspension from the bench of Fenerbahçe:
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“First, I want to understand the reason and the motive, because I haven’t read a document that says ‘for this reason,’ but I want to say it honestly. Yes, I celebrated a lot after the match, it’s true. I complained a lot about the VAR referee, that’s also true, but I didn’t insult or display aggressive behavior. If celebrating after the game is a cultural issue that I missed, and if this is a reason, I want to say the following: One of my biggest childhood idols, aside from my father, was Eusébio. He had an iconic goal celebration. He scored 600-700 goals, I don’t know how many, but it was Eusébio’s joy. If this gesture has an offensive meaning in Türkiye, then I must be informed about it, but it was never my intention to make such an offensive gesture. I was sanctioned for one match, that’s the current situation. I have to deal with it, I have to accept it. I have to trust my team, my team on the bench, and, of course, the fans who come to support our team at the stadium.
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José Mourinho also praised upcoming opponent Sivasspor:
“It’s a very important game for us, just like every other game in the league. Every time we don’t win a game, even if we haven’t lost, we see it as a missed opportunity. We want to win; the pragmatism of football lies in the accumulation of points. Sivasspor also has a lot of points. They have won two in a row and are thriving.
