From the Special One to the Crying One: The Mourinho Show in Turkey
Even at Fenerbahçe, José Mourinho is still very much his usual self. With moments of brilliance, confrontations, and a new nickname courtesy of a fierce rival, he remains a magnet for headlines.
From Roma to Fenerbahçe, Mourinho has stayed true to form—flashing brilliance, clashing with referees, managing players with his trademark style, and deploying his media strategies.
The so-called ‘Special One’ is still himself, even if in Turkey, some have tried to dub him ‘The Crying One’—a mocking nickname born after the Istanbul derby against Galatasaray.
After his exit from Roma, Mourinho didn’t take long to make waves off the pitch at Fenerbahçe. Despite the change of scenery, his footballing approach hasn’t shifted.
Same Old Mourinho
Mourinho’s latest antics occurred during Fenerbahçe’s 2-0 league win over Antalyaspor. It harkens back to his infamous “handcuff” gesture from his Inter days in February 2010. This time, the incident involved Mourinho using his personal laptop to block a stadium camera’s view in protest against the referees, an act that quickly went viral on social media.
His laptop even displayed a freeze frame from the match, something Mourinho clearly had an issue with. The referee, alerted by the fourth official, swiftly reprimanded the former Roma manager.
🚨Mourinho heritage in Turkey🚨
Fenerbahce had a goal disallowed in their game against Antalyaspor. In protest against the decision, Mourinho got a still of it up on a laptop and placed it in front of a TV camera.
He was then booked as a result 😅😅😅pic.twitter.com/baFsdv9hbZ
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 29, 2024
Back on the first day of the Super Lig, Mourinho wasted no time making an impact, receiving his first booking of the season just 15 minutes into Fenerbahçe’s match against Adana Demirspor for stepping outside the technical area. Ironically, his opposing coach exhibited the same behaviour without consequence. Once again, the ‘Special One’ became the centre of attention, with Fenerbahçe fans backing him on social media. Their sentiment could be summed up as, “Welcome to Turkey; now you understand how things work here.”
‘The Crying One’
Mourinho’s first big Istanbul derby, however, was a disaster. His Fenerbahçe side lost 3-1 to Galatasaray, with Victor Osimhen starring for the opposition. Adding insult to injury, Mourinho was mercilessly mocked off the pitch. Galatasaray fans and media capitalized on the defeat, rebranding him ‘The Crying One.’
Looooooooooooool I’m dying Galatasaray official page is calling Jose Mourinho The crying one looooooool 🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/WHcf8eENPH
— SpursD22 (@SpursD22) September 21, 2024
Galatasaray’s official social media page posted a fake book cover attributed to Mourinho, titled The Crying One, a twist on his famous nickname. The post quipped that the book was available “at bookshops near Kadıköy,” a cheeky reference to the district where Fenerbahçe is based.
Fans were quick to react, and Mourinho’s infamous temper flared. A Turkish journalist showed him the mockery during the post-match interaction, and Mourinho, visibly annoyed, retorted, “Are you serious or joking? Are you sure you’re a journalist?” before storming out of the press conference.
Derbi sonrası basın toplantısına katılmayan Jose Mourinho, stat çıkışında Galatasaray'ın kendisiyle ilgili 'The Crying One' paylaşımı hakkında sorulan soruya sinirlendi.
pic.twitter.com/mdySD2D3Az— Süper Lig (@EnSuperLig) September 21, 2024
Meanwhile, Galatasaray’s English account shared an out-of-focus picture of Mourinho, with their manager, Okan Buruk, crystal clear in the background. The caption? ‘The Winning One.’
The winner one. pic.twitter.com/OtX93kcErV
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) September 21, 2024
Mourinho’s Legacy in Turkey
Despite the ups and downs, Fenerbahçe currently sit fourth in the league, and Mourinho remains a constant source of entertainment. Some in the Turkish football scene are defending him, though.
“Give him time; impatience never helps,” said senior coach Yılmaz Vural. “A figure like him is important for promoting Turkish football.”
Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen. For now, we’re all watching as the Mourinho show continues.