Room service, luxury suite, champagne... and no titles: Fener still paying the price for Mr Special One
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 10.11.25. | 19:06
Jose Mourinho leaves behind a hotel bill as big as his reputation
Jose Mourinho's Turkish adventure has turned out to be anything but special. Welcomed to Istanbul as a superstar coach and a long-awaited saviour, the Portuguese tactician was supposed to end Fenerbahce's decade-long title drought and restore European glory. Instead, he left behind disappointment, chaos - and a hefty bill.
Mourinho departed in August, a full year before his contract expired, following a painful Champions League qualifying exit. The early termination came at a cost: according to Turkish reports, Fenerbahce had to pay him around €15 million in compensation.
Just as the club was beginning to recover under new boss Domenico Tedesco - closing the gap on rivals Galatasaray and stabilising their form - another revelation has reignited the frustration among fans.
An Istanbul daily reported that during Mourinho's 16-month stay in the city, he allegedly racked up a hotel bill worth 36.5 million Turkish lira, roughly €747,000. The coach, who lived in a luxury suite for most of his time in Turkey, reportedly left without settling the debt after his dismissal.
It remains unclear whether Fenerbahce had agreed to cover Mourinho's accommodation expenses or whether the charges were his own responsibility. Either way, the story has done little to repair his image on the Bosphorus.
For now, one question hangs over Istanbul's yellow-and-blue half - who will end up paying the bill?
