José Mourinho has opened up about his life in Istanbul and his ambitions for the future.
The former Manchester United manager has been enjoying his time at Fenerbahçe, despite the challenges of managing a club in a different league.
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He discussed his passion for the game, his admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson, and his future aspirations.
Mourinho remains as passionate as ever about football, dedicating long hours to his job.
Mourinho admires Sir Alex Ferguson’s longevity and unwavering commitment to the game.
“I cannot lose that desire and hunger, because if you lose it’s better to stop. I always remember going with Real Madrid to Old Trafford for a Champions League big match and Sir Alex invited me to his office before the game,” he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“We were looking at each other quite relaxed – but we were NOT relaxed – and I said to him. ‘Sir Alex, do you change with age? Do you change with the years? Does the feeling change?’ And he told me ‘no!’ It doesn’t change.”
Now Jose knows Sir Alex was right.
“It doesn’t change. The feelings are exactly the same, and I think that’s a good thing.”
While he is currently focused on Fenerbahçe, Mourinho has not ruled out a return to the Premier League in the future and even joked that he could manage Millwall.
“I made a joke,” he said. “I’m never going to a team fighting relegation. I will never go.
“I get upset, and I’m not in the period of my career to get upset. I’m in the period of my career to be happy all the time and at this moment playing in European competitions, I am getting upset all the time.
“But I’m not going to fight relegation. It’s too hard! Honestly, I believe that has to be the hardest thing. It’s more difficult than playing for titles. It has to be very hard emotionally, because it’s something that changes lives.
“I think it’s brave guys that do it.
“Millwall. Millwall, I just cross the bridge from my house. Millwall!”
Mourinho enjoys living in Istanbul and has adapted well to the city’s culture and lifestyle.
“Istanbul is amazing,” he added. “I live in Europe and go every day to Asia for training, then I come back to Europe to sleep.
“The bridges connect Istanbul’s European side to Asian side. I live in Europe, my club is in Asia.
“My training ground is in Asia. I leave here and travel to the other side. It’s not dramatic. It’s less time than I used to do from London to Cobham (Chelsea Training Ground), and if one day I am unlucky and something is wrong on the bridge, I get the boat to the other side. It’s eight minutes, and then another 10 minutes to the training ground.”
Mourinho’s time at Fenerbahçe has been marked by his intense passion and dedication to the club.
His influence on the team is evident, and he has quickly become a beloved figure among the fans.