Jose Mourinho has only been the manager of Fenerbahce for 10 months, but he’s already being linked with a new high-profile opportunity.
As expected, Mourinho isn’t enjoying a quiet, peaceful life in the Turkish capital of Istanbul, with criticism of match officials, bans and controversy following the Portuguese boss seemingly every week.
Now into his 11th managerial job, Mourinho has enjoyed great success during his career but his powers have waned somewhat in recent years. That hasn’t stopped him from catching the attention of the elite, however, with his name touted with a move away from Fenerbahce after less than a season.
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Jose Mourinho could make high-profile switch
In recent weeks Fenerbahce’s season has unravelled, with defeat in the Europa League to Rangers followed up by a quarter-final exit in the Turkish Cup to bitter rivals Galatasaray.
There’s still a chance of winning the Turkish Super League, but they’re three points behind Galatasaray with eight games remaining. Mourinho, however, might not even be around to complete the campaign, after being placed on a four-man shortlist for a key role in world football.
According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Mourinho has made a four-man shortlist, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Jorge Jesus and Abel Ferreira, to become the next Brazil national team manager.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sacked Dorival Junior last week following the latest international break, after being left unimpressed with the side’s 4-1 defeat to Argentina. That result now leaves the Selecao in a battle to automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with their next four games crucial in determining their fate.
Mourinho is therefore seen as one of the four managers capable of turning things around in Brazil, with the report suggesting that, while Jorge Jesus is the most-likely candidate to take over, Carlo Ancelotti remains the preferred choice. Brazil’s interest in Ancelotti long-standing, but the Italian has highlighted how Real Madrid will be his final job in management despite giving some positive noises to the national team.
Hailing from Portugal, Mourinho would have the ability to slot straight into Brazil and speak to the players on a level. He has never coached at international level before, though, so would have to quickly get up to speed with things in CONMEBOL qualifying.
In FourFourTwo’s view, it seems unlikely that Mourinho would become the next Brazil manager, especially with Fenerbahce’s final game currently scheduled for June 1 – Brazil face Ecuador in an important qualifying game just five days later.
After a controversial season in Turkey he will probably leave Fenerbahce come the end of the campaign, but whether he’d terminate his deal a few weeks early while there’s still a chance of winning the title remains to be seen.
