Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Fenerbahce in the Europa League this evening.
Following the game, Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho admitted Fenerbahce fully deserved the win and and went onto slam his players of treating the game like a “summer friendly”.
Senegal international Moussa Sow put Fenerbahce ahead after just two minutes via a brilliant overhead kick while the former Sunderland man Jeremain Lens’ doubled his sides lead with a perfectly struck free-kick just before the hour.
The Red Devils pulled a goal back late on with a fine Wayne Rooney strike but could not find an equaliser as they slipped to third in Group A.
Mourinho spoke with BT Sport after the game to share his views on the result.
“I think they (Fenerbahce) deserved to win, football is not just about quality, it’s about effort, commitment, playing the limits and giving everything,” Mourinho told BT Sport.
“A team that concedes a goal after two minutes is a team that is not ready, is a team that is not mentally prepared, not focused, not concentrated, and in an atmosphere like this (it) gives an advantage to an opponent (and) is where they want to be.
“Then they defend, then the counter-attack, then they stop the game, then they simulate free-kicks, then they put pressure on the referee’s decisions…But it’s their game, and this is out fault that we let them be in that situation.
“After their second goal we had a reaction, probably we could have got a different result but we didn’t deserve more.”
“Our problem started in our global attitude. They were playing the Champions League final and we were playing a summer friendly. That is the reality of the way the game started.”
Manchester United travel to Wales this weekend to take on a struggling Swansea City in the Premier League. Meanwhile Fenerbahce take on Akhisar Belediyespor in the Turkish Super Lig.
