Turkish Football in Turmoil as Mourinho and Solskjaer Sacked

Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Besiktas have sacked their managers, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, following disappointing exits from European competitions this week.

Mourinho’s dismissal came just over a year after his appointment in June 2024.

Despite guiding Fenerbahce to a second-place league finish last season, he failed to secure silverware and watched his side crash out of the Champions League play-off round after a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Benfica.

The club has now failed to reach the group stage since 2008–09.

“Our first team’s technical director, Jose Mourinho… has parted ways with us. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success in his future career,” Fenerbahce said in a statement.

Solskjaer was also shown the door at Besiktas just eight months after his arrival. A 1-0 home loss to Lausanne-Sport sealed their Conference League elimination.

Club chairman Serdal Adali thanked him “for his services to date.”

TIMES OF NIGERIA understands that both sackings mark a turbulent week for Turkish football, leaving two of the country’s biggest clubs scrambling for new managers to revive their domestic and European campaigns.