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Prominent businessman Sadettin Saran, who has been eyeing the Fenerbahce presidency, revealed Friday that Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao is his preferred candidate to fill the club's managerial position vacated by Jose Mourinho.
Sadettin Saran, one of the candidates for the Fenerbahce presidency, revealed Friday that his preferred managerial candidate is Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao. Speaking about his vision for the club, Saran said Conceicao is ready to come to Fenerbahce on better terms than former manager Jose Mourinho.
Saran noted that Conceicao was “ambitious and exciting,” adding that his character fits the club’s spirit and that he has full faith the coach could bring back long-awaited success to Fenerbahce.
Mourinho was officially sacked on Friday following Fenerbahce's defeat to Benfica that saw the club fail to reach the league phase of the Champions League.
Conceicao's last outing as manager was at AC Milan, where he was sacked after 31 games with the Rossoneri. The Portuguese tactician is known for an energetic and aggressive approach. He usually favors a 4-3-2-1 system with fast, hard-pressing football. His teams are built on discipline, quick transitions, and adaptability.
At Porto, he became respected for tactical boldness and for getting the best out of both established players and emerging talent.
Conceicao, born in Portugal's Coimbra in 1974, enjoyed a long career as a right winger before turning to management. As a player, he represented clubs in Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Kuwait. He became particularly well-known during his time at Lazio in Italy, where he won a Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, and European trophies.
Later, at Porto, he helped secure national championships. He also earned 56 caps for Portugal, scoring 12 goals, and featured in both Euro 2000—where he netted a hat-trick against Germany—and the 2002 World Cup.
After retiring, Conceicao moved into management in 2012. He worked with several Portuguese clubs and had a brief spell in France with Nantes. His most notable success came with Porto, where he became the coach with the most games in charge of the club and won 11 trophies, including three league titles and multiple doubles.
In December 2024, he took over at AC Milan but was dismissed six months later following a poor league finish and a cup final defeat.
Founder of Saran Holding, which today operates across sports, media, tourism, and aviation with more than 30 companies, Saran has played a leading role in Türkiye's sports broadcasting history.
Among his media platforms are S Sport, Radyospor, Radyo Muzik, Radyo Trafik, Ajansspor, and the betting platform tuttur.com. He also represented ESPN in Türkiye.
Over the years, Saran has become known as one of Türkiye’s wealthiest businessmen. Now aged 60, he is the son of Ozbek Saran, a Turkish father originally from Kirikkale, and Geraldine Saran, an American mother. He is the eldest of four brothers.
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