UEL: African troubled Mourinho, Tottenham like a hopeless case

Jose Mourinho has been under intense scrutiny, attempting to defend himself against allegations of racism. The consequences, however, have caught up with him. The Portuguese coach has been handed a four-match ban in the Turkish league, with a possible six-month suspension looming. But that’s not his only concern—his team barely avoided a disaster on the pitch this night.

Mourinho suspended for four games and it isn't over yet

If Fenerbahce is still in contention, it owes a debt of gratitude to modern technology. Without VAR, Rangers would have humiliated them in Istanbul. The Scottish side saw two goals from Cyriel Dessers disallowed by razor-thin margins as they suffered a frustrating 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie.

Dessers, once the top scorer in the UEFA Conference League under Mourinho’s Roma, was relentless. Rangers secured him from Cremonese for 5 million euros, and the Nigerian striker has been on fire this season, netting 22 goals in 42 matches.

His impact was immediate. He pounced on a defensive mistake, rounded the goalkeeper, and fired towards the empty net—only for Caglar Soyuncu to clear it off the line. However, goal-line technology confirmed that the ball had crossed, giving Rangers a well-deserved lead.

Fenerbahce responded briefly through Alexander Djiku, who replaced the injured Soyuncu in the first half and executed a brilliant overhead kick past Jack Butland. But that only fueled Rangers’ intensity.

By halftime, the Scottish side had restored their advantage, with Vaclav Cerny making it 2-1. Dessers had already seen two goals chalked off by VAR, leaving him visibly frustrated. His influence didn’t wane, though, as he was involved in Rangers’ third goal, dealing a further blow to Fenerbahce.

Despite playing with key stars Dusan Tadic and Filip Kostic, the Turkish side struggled throughout the match. Barry Ferguson, who took over Rangers in late February, has already transformed the team’s mindset and put them in a strong position heading into the second leg at Ibrox.

Meanwhile, in London, Tottenham has its own problems after a 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar.

Troy Parrott was once seen as Harry Kane’s heir at Spurs. Instead, after several loan spells, he was sold to AZ for 4 million. This evening, he played a key role in the match’s only goal—his deflected effort led to Sweden’s rising star, Lucas Bergvall, scoring the winner.

Tottenham managed just one shot on target in a lackluster performance. However, their deficit remains recoverable ahead of the return leg.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16

First leg

Thursday

AZ Alkmaar - Tottenham (1-0)

/Bergvall 18 og/

FCSB - Olympique Lyon 1-3 (0-1)

/Baluta 68 - Tagliafico 30, Fofana 86, 89/

Fenerbahce - Rangers 1-3 (1-2)

/Djiku 30 - Dessers 6, Cerny 42, 81/

Real Sociedad - Manchester United 1-1 (0-0)

/Oyarzabal 70 pen - Zirkzee 58/

Ajax - Eintracht Frankfurt IN PROGRESS

Bodo - Olympiacos IN PROGRESS

Plzen - Lazio IN PROGRESS

Roma - Athletic Bilbao IN PROGRESS