Stephen Appiah: Mourinho faces tough challenge in Turkey with Fenerbahce

Former Fenerbahce star Stephen Appiah believes legendary manager Jose Mourinho won’t have it easy in Turkey after joining the Yellow Canaries.

Mourinho, unveiled on Monday, is eager to make Fenerbahce the best club in Turkey.

Fenerbahce has not won the Turkish Super Lig since 2014, with a Turkish Cup in 2023 being their only major success in the past decade, while their fiercest rivals, Galatasaray, have reigned supreme with back-to-back league titles.

“I mean it will be tough because Galatasaray have a very good team and a very good manager too but Fener is the biggest team in Turkey and that has to always be the case,” Appiah said to Responsible Gambling.

“They lost the league this season but they put up a good fight so surely they’re not that far from it. They have Dzeko and Fred and the rest, so the team is very good with a few strengthening here and there and they will be able to at least compete and be in it for the long run.”

Mourinho has won 26 trophies across a managerial career spanning more than two decades. He won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, in addition to league titles with Chelsea and Real Madrid. His last job at Roma saw him guide the Italian club to their first European title since 1961 with the Europa Conference League in 2022.