OFFICIAL: Fenerbahce sack Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Fenerbahce manager. The news, which had not been leaked to the press in the hours or days leading up to it, was made official on Friday morning, when the Turkish club published a brief statement on their social media to confirm that they had dismissed the Portuguese coach. While not explicitly stated, it is understood to be due to their elimination in the Champions League preliminary round.

Their defeat came two days ago, on Wednesday, when they lost to Benfica in the final of the preparatory qualifiers for the League Phase, which was drawn on Monday afternoon. At home, his team had drawn a goalless stalemate, but in Lisbon, they were beaten 1-0 with a goal from Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu from a Leandro Barreiro pass. There was a chance to force a draw with a shot from Youssef En-Nesyri that hit the post in the 72nd minute.

Before this disappointment, 'The Special One' and his men had knocked out Feyenoord courtesy of a 6-4 aggregate scoreline. The Turks had to come back after conceding a 2-1 defeat in Rotterdam. At their stadium, they more than delivered with a resounding 5-2 victory. Last season, the path was the same: victory in the second round - the first for them - and a setback in the third - their second - but against Lille on that occasion.

The Fenerbahce job has been the shortest professional stint of Jose Mourinho's career: 59 matches in charge. He only managed fewer at Benfica, where he only had a brief spell in which he only took charge of eleven, and at Uniao de Leiria -26- because he soon caught the eye of Porto, where he laid the foundations for the greatest successes of his life. Now, at 62 years old and with the season in the major leagues already underway, he is a free agent.

His options now

Jose Mourinho's longest period of inactivity came after his departure from Manchester United. Until he was hired by Tottenham Hotspur, eleven months passed - from December 2018 to November 2019. Now, his options involve 'fishing' for a vacant dugout if his desire is to return to the big leagues, which could be inferred from his insistence on reappearing in the Champions League.

In the past, he has stated that he would like to return to Chelsea, but this is a project that has moved far away from his current prospects and is enjoying great success under Enzo Maresca. Manchester United are experiencing difficult times with their compatriot Ruben Amorim, although, in principle, it would be powerfully striking if the Old Trafford board ordered a change of course now.

In a sense, however, 'The Special One' is a specialist in situations like the one the Red Devils are going through, who need to regain their self-confidence. In other European countries, perhaps some team from Serie A will take notice of his good work at Roma, where he took special care of the youth players and showed a strong connection with the fans. He was seen in his most accessible version. He wept on the pitch when he won the Conference League.

Outside the footballing super-elite, emerging destinations such as Saudi Arabia, which has ample economic leeway to assume his salary, or the United States, which displays the same pecuniary banner and boasts the attraction of having figures of the stature of Leo Messi, Heung-Min Son or Thomas Muller, always remain. With the focus on spectacle that characterises any North American sport, Mou's personality would be a smash hit.