“If at the end of the second game they celebrate, i will congratulate them. But now, calm down because it’s not over”- Jose Mourinho send Brutal warning to Rangers amid their 3-1 win against Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that his side’s 3-1 defeat to Rangers was actually a “good result” given the poor performance from his team.
However, the Portuguese coach also cautioned Rangers not to get ahead of themselves, warning that the tie is far from decided.
Cyriel Dessers’ opening goal and a brace from Vaclav Cerny helped Rangers secure a crucial win in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 clash.
Fenerbahce briefly pulled one back through Alexander Djiku’s goal from a corner, but Rangers looked more likely to add to their lead, especially after Dessers had two goals disallowed by VAR for offside.
“We were bad everywhere,” Mourinho said after the match. “It’s not fair to single out the defense because we were poor all over the pitch.”
He continued, “You might laugh, but for me, this result is actually good. Given how we performed, it could have been much worse.
I know Jack Butland made three fantastic saves, and there was possibly a penalty that wasn’t given, but I don’t think it’s right to talk about the referee after this performance.
We had chances to score, but we didn’t take them. Our midfield lacked cohesion, and we lost too many duels.
Our passing was slow. Defensively, we made critical mistakes, and we never controlled the game. Rangers defended well, with a low block and dangerous counter-attacks.
We didn’t have the pace to deal with them. So, I have to admit, we deserved the punishment of this result.”
Despite the defeat, Mourinho remained defiant about the outcome of the tie. “Is it over? No. I believe there are still 90 or 120 minutes to play,” he added.
Mourinho also noted that Rangers’ tactical change, where Barry Ferguson opted for a back five instead of their usual four, was not a surprise to him.
He had anticipated a pragmatic approach from the Gers, but insisted that it wasn’t the reason for the result.
“I’m not surprised by Rangers,” he said. “I was respectful in my press conference yesterday, and I immediately said the previous coach focused more on philosophy.
I knew Ferguson would be more pragmatic, with five defenders, three midfielders, and two attackers or counter-attacks.
They defended as best they could, and when they couldn’t, Butland made great saves. They were dangerous on the counter-attack. They were competitive and deserved the win.”
Before wrapping up, Mourinho had one final message ahead of next week’s return leg in Glasgow. “It’s not over yet,” he said. “My only advice to Rangers is: don’t celebrate too much. There’s still a second match. If they win after the second game, I’ll congratulate them. But for now, they need to calm down because it’s not over.”
