AliousJose Mourinho insisted that Fenerbahce were “by far the better team” despite their Europa League elimination at the hands of Rangers. He also expressed concern that his team was denied three penalties at Ibrox, hoping it was simply a coincidence rather than lingering consequences from his previous European suspension.
The Portuguese coach has a history of clashes with officials in European competition. After Roma’s defeat to Sevilla in the 2023 Europa League final, he infamously branded referee Anthony Taylor “a disgrace,” which led to a suspension. Now, after Fenerbahce’s dramatic exit, he suggested that recent officiating decisions against his teams might not be entirely random.
Mourinho Questions Officiating After Europa League Exit**
Mourinho’s side had overturned their 3-1 first-leg deficit with a 2-0 victory at Ibrox, forcing extra time and penalties. However, Rangers ultimately triumphed in the shootout, leaving the Fenerbahce boss frustrated with the officiating.
“The only thing I hope is that everything happening to me in European competitions isn’t because of the Budapest final,” Mourinho stated. “Since my suspension, there have been some strange decisions against my teams. We missed out on the Champions League because of a penalty only the fourth official saw in the 120th minute.
“Tonight, we played in a match with one of the best VAR officials, yet he didn’t see even one of the three penalties we should have had. I just hope this is all bad luck and nothing more.”
Despite his frustrations, Mourinho acknowledged that the fourth official in the Rangers match was more composed than referee Espen Eskås, who oversaw the game. While Mourinho maintained his own calm, he admitted that his coaching staff found it difficult to contain their emotions as they reviewed the controversial decisions on their laptops.
Fenerbahce’s Dominance Not Reflected in Result**
Rangers approached the second leg cautiously despite their first-leg victory, knowing the danger posed by Fenerbahce’s experienced squad and Mourinho’s tactical nous. Their fears were justified as Polish midfielder Sebastian Szymański struck twice, condemning Rangers to an unprecedented fourth consecutive home defeat after domestic losses to St Mirren, Queen’s Park, and Motherwell.
Mourinho was adamant that Fenerbahce had done more than enough to deserve progression.
“We were the best team over 90 minutes. We were the best team after 120 minutes. We were the best team by far,” he insisted. “After the first leg, I admitted we made mistakes and deserved to lose. But this time, I have to be just as honest and say we deserved to win.
“The referee and VAR made the decision that the game should go to penalties.”
Mourinho Weighs In on Rangers’ Next Challenge**
With Rangers set to face Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals, Mourinho couldn’t resist pointing out that his former club, Roma, had just been eliminated by the Spanish side.
“In football, anything can happen, but I faced Bilbao in the group stage. They’re a stronger team, and the final is in Bilbao,” he said. “I don’t know what happened to Roma, but after just 10 minutes, they were already down to 10 men.
“If Rangers manage to beat Bilbao, it will be an incredible achievement.”
Despite his disappointment, Mourinho maintained pride in his players.
“Congratulations to Rangers, but my team gave everything. They deserved more, and I’m incredibly proud of them.”
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