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Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has described Fenerbahce as a special club in his career while revisiting refereeing controversies in Türkiye, saying he repeatedly found himself caught up in scandals during his managerial career.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ivan Zazzaroni, editor of Italian sports newspaper Corriere dello Sport, published on Oct. 8, the Portuguese coach reflected on his time in Istanbul, his return to Real Madrid and his relationships with former clubs.
Mourinho, 63, said he maintained strong emotional connections with nearly every team he had coached, including Fenerbahce, despite his relatively short spell with the Turkish club.
Discussing his former teams, Mourinho said Fenerbahce stood out because of its distinctive football culture, although he acknowledged spending considerably less time there than at several other clubs.
"Fenerbahce is a special place, with a very special culture," Mourinho said, adding that he had spent only around 13 to 14 months at the Istanbul club.
He explained that he generally maintained positive relationships with former employers even when his time with them ended in dismissal, while identifying Tottenham as an exception because COVID-19 restrictions had prevented him from developing a strong connection with supporters.
Mourinho also described his return to Real Madrid as a homecoming, saying his previous three-year spell at the Spanish club had carried the emotional weight of 30 years.
The Portuguese coach also addressed his long-running disputes with referees, arguing that controversies had repeatedly emerged around clubs during his managerial career.
Asked whether his relationship with referees had changed, Mourinho rejected the suggestion that he was responsible for the recurring conflicts.
"I don't think the problem is me. I think it's bad luck," he said, explaining that his arrival at certain clubs had coincided with periods of controversy.
Mourinho referred to his previous spell at Real Madrid and the Negreira case, a Spanish football controversy involving payments made by Barcelona to a former senior refereeing official.
He then turned to his experiences in Turkish football.
"Then there was a major scandal in Türkiye. I have often experienced these kinds of situations," Mourinho said.
During the discussion, Zazzaroni also brought up Anthony Taylor, the English referee involved in Mourinho's confrontation following Roma's 2023 UEFA Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.
When the interviewer referred to the leadership of Turkish refereeing, Mourinho remarked that a previous official had gone to prison.
The interview did not establish which individual Mourinho was referring to, and the remark was not accompanied by details of a specific judicial ruling.
Beyond his comments about Türkiye, Mourinho discussed his departure from Roma and the club's 2023 Europa League final defeat in Budapest.
He said the final marked the strongest point of his connection with Roma supporters but also the beginning of an irreparable breakdown in his relationship with the club's ownership.
Mourinho accepted responsibility for insulting referee Anthony Taylor after the match but maintained that he should not have been held responsible for a separate incident involving the official at an airport.
He suggested his position at Roma had effectively become untenable immediately after the final, months before his formal dismissal.
Despite the circumstances, Mourinho insisted that Roma would always feel like home and said he had never sought to attack the club or its owners publicly.
The Portuguese coach is preparing to return to Rome as Real Madrid manager for a Champions League match against his former team on Oct. 14.
Asked what reception he expected at the Stadio Olimpico, Mourinho said he was not anticipating banners or special celebrations but hoped to receive respect from supporters.
He acknowledged that returning to the stadium as an opponent would be emotionally difficult and said he would have to concentrate on preparing his players rather than revisiting his memories of the club.
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