Jose Mourinho silenced rumours that he wanted to bring a handful of Roma players to Fenerbahce, nothing how he ‘never talked about names’ with his new club.
The 61-year-old Portuguese coach finally joined a new club following his January dismissal from the Giallorossi, signing up with the Istanbul giants on a two-year contract on Sunday. He was greeted by countless excited fans at his unveiling, ready to start an exciting new project.
In recent days, numerous rumours have emerged linking a number of Roma players to Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, including Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku, suggesting that the coach was keen to be reunited with some of his former colleagues.
Mourinho silences rumours
Speaking at a press conference via Milliyet, Mourinho was asked about Fenerbahce’s transfer targets and the rumours linked to various Roma players.
“I didn’t talk to anyone about transfers. I wanted to see the project and stability. We talked not about names but about profiles. We never talked about names.
“To be more precise, I didn’t bring up any players from the clubs I worked with in the past. I didn’t bring up any player from Roma. What we need to do now is calmly do our jobs.”
The Portuguese coach then underlined the reasons why he decided to take on the job in Istanbul following his January exit from Roma.
“The first person to contact me was Fenerbahce Sports Director Mario Branco. As a result, Ali Koc also contacted me. This is what triggered my interest in coming here. No matter which club I go to, there is a lot of gossip.
“I was a freelance coach. I had no connection with any club. He didn’t ask anyone for permission. I have a family and special friends. I have a manager. I don’t ask anyone what to do. I did not get permission to come to Fenerbahce.”