Truly turbulent days have come to Istanbul’s Fenerbahçe: the club is drawing up its plan for the next season, and the main question for supporters was the future of José Mourinho. The answer is now clear, and the fans’ eyes have turned to the English Premier League, where the board has already reached out to three specialists at once.
Official announcement of Acun Ilıcalı’s resignation
On the same day the fate of the celebrated Portuguese was being decided, the Yellow-Navy Blues published a press release about staffing changes on the board of directors:
"Public Announcement
Season 2024–2025
Our Board Member and Vice-President, Mr. Acun Ilıcalı, has stepped down from his post.
Throughout his tenure Mr. Acun Ilıcalı made an invaluable contribution to the work of the Board and always put the interests of the club above all else, earning the sincere respect of our entire community.
We thank him for his dedicated service and wish him continued success and happiness.
Respectfully,
Fenerbahçe Sports Club"
Course set on continuing cooperation with Mourinho
After internal consultations the board decided to keep Mourinho at the helm of the first team. Targeted changes are expected in the coaching staff: in order to strengthen the analytics unit and set-piece work, negotiations have already begun with three English specialists employed by Premier League clubs. Their names are being kept secret for now, but it is known that they are coaches specializing in physical preparation, positional attacking tactics and defensive schemes.
Keeping Mourinho, who in a short time has become a cult figure at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, should bring stability to the project and help the club in its title challenge. At the same time, bolstering the staff with experts from England fits Fenerbahçe’s strategy of integrating the most advanced methods of European football.
What’s next?
The club will continue its summer preparations, and the new faces of the technical staff will be presented once all procedures are completed. Supporters eagerly await official confirmation: Mourinho is staying—and perhaps in the coming weeks “Fener” will announce which Premier League coaches will join the Yellow-Navy Blues to scale the heights of national and international football together with the Portuguese maestro.
