José Mourinho and Fenerbahce find themselves on the brink of elimination from the UEFA Europa League, with the Nigerian Bright Osayi-Samuel's latest booking compounding their troubles, Soccernet.ng reports.
Appointed as Fenerbahce's head coach last summer, Mourinho — one of the most decorated managers of his generation — was tasked with restoring glory to the Istanbul club.
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The expectations are high, with Fenerbahce’s last Super Lig title coming in 2014. Despite finishing as runners-up in the past three seasons and lifting the Turkish Cup in 2023, the club's European ambitions have remained elusive, with last season’s Europa Conference League exit in the quarterfinals at the hands of Olympiacos a painful reminder.
Mourinho’s arrival brought hope of silverware, but Fenerbahce’s results halfway through the 2024-2025 campaign suggest otherwise. They trail Super Lig champions Galatasaray by six points and are now in a precarious position in the Europa League.
A goalless draw at home against Lyon on Thursday leaves Fenerbahce needing at least a point in their final group-stage game against Danish side FC Midtjylland. However, a victory is the only sure path to progress for Mourinho's men, who boasts a meagre eight points from seven games.
The task has been made more daunting with the confirmed absences of Bright Osayi-Samuel and Morocco's Soufiane Amrabat, both sidelined due to yellow card suspensions after their bookings against Lyon—Osayi-Samuel in the 87th minute and Amrabat in the 72nd.
Mourinho acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying:
“I think nine points will be enough to advance, but we are going to Denmark to win.
The difficult conditions will continue because Bright and Amrabat will not be available. If we can advance, we’ll be a very different team in the next round. We need to fight and get the points to move forward.”
Osayi-Samuel, despite being in the final six months of his contract, has remained a key figure in Mourinho's plans as a reliable right-back option. His absence, alongside Amrabat's, puts Fenerbahce under significant pressure as they look to salvage their European campaign on January 30th.
