Jose Mourinho’s post-match press conference following Fenerbahce’s 3-1 home loss to Rangers in the Europa League took an unusual turn, with the manager comically feigning sleep during a lengthy journalist question.
The incident underscored the manager’s frustration after a disappointing evening for his side.
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Mourinho, whose team suffered a significant setback in the first leg of their last-16 tie, had already expressed his view that underestimating Rangers was “not my fault” if that had occurred.
The post-match press conference, however, provided further evidence of his exasperation.
A journalist’s extended question, which stretched to nearly 45 seconds, prompted a series of reactions from the Portuguese manager.
As the translator relayed the question, Mourinho was seen puffing his cheeks and rolling his eyes, clearly impatient. Eventually, he closed his eyes and pretended to fall asleep, a visual demonstration of his growing weariness.
The question, when finally clarified by the translator, focused on Mourinho’s defensive player selections.
The manager responded curtly, initially stating, “This is too much.”
He then explained that the energy expended during the match left him unable to engage with such a drawn-out query. “I’m tired, man. Ninety minutes, not to listen to all of this. Too tired for that,” he said.
The incident highlighted Mourinho’s evident dissatisfaction with his team’s performance and his growing impatience with what he perceived as unnecessary verbosity.
Fenerbahce now face a challenging return leg at Ibrox next Thursday, where they will need to overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their Europa League hopes alive.
