Jose Mourinho avoids humiliation in first Fenerbahce clash with Premier League cult hero saving Champions League hopes
JOSE MOURINHO narrowly avoided humiliation in his first Fenerbahce match in charge.
The Portuguese manager took charge of the Turkish giants for the first time in a Champions League qualifier against Lugano.
Fenerbahce fell behind in the match after just four minutes to the Swiss side at the Stockhorn Arena.
Defender Ayman El Wafi put the hosts ahead, raising fears of an embarrassing exit for Mourinho’s men.
However, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko saved the saved the day as he netted the equaliser before half-time from the spot.
The Bosnian then scored his second of the game just on minute into the second half.
But then worries were raised again as Uran Bislimi equalised for Lugano in the 64th minute.
Mourinho will have then been relieved as Dezko and Ferdi Kadiolu gave his side a two-goal buffer ahead of the final 20 minutes.
Milton Valenzuela scored in the 94th minute in order to make the game end 4-3.
Dzeko finished the game with a hat-trick as he began his 22nd season as a professional footballer.
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The tie is not settled, however as Fenerbahce still need to host the Swiss side at home.
The second leg will be played on July 30 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Should Fenerbahce make it through with a positive result, they will still need to navigate the third qualifying round and play-off round before sealing a spot in the Champions League league phase.
Mourinho was hired by Fenerbahce in June after being unemployed since getting the sack from Roma in January.
He has reportedly signed a deal that will run until 2026, with an option for a further season.
Ex-Prem stars at Fenerbahce
JOSE MOURINHO will have a whole host of familiar faces in his dressing room when he takes over at Fenerbahce.
There are no fewer than SIX players in the Turkish giants’ squad who previously played in the Premier League.
They are:
- EDIN DZEKO Fenerbahce’s club captain was at Man City from 2011 to 2016, scoring 72 goals in 189 appearances, including the dramatic equaliser before THAT Sergio Aguero winner vs QPR
- MICHY BATSHUAYI Belgian forward arrived to much fanfare at Chelsea in 2016 but five loans in six years, two of them to Crystal Palace, showed it didn’t quite work
- FRED Man Utd spent £52m on the Brazilian holding midfielder who formed half of the underwhelming ‘McFred’ partnership and won just the League Cup in five years at Old Trafford
- DUSAN TADIC Serbian forward enjoyed four seasons at Southampton before returning to the Eredivisie with Ajax, reaching the Champions League semi-finals
- RYAN KENT Technically didn’t play in the Premier League but made one FA Cup appearance for boyhood club Liverpool then left for Rangers in 2019
- CENGIZ UNDER A disappointing season on loan at Leicester in 2020-21 from Roma, scoring two goals in 19 appearances for the Foxes who did not trigger their option to buy the Turkish winger.