Mourinho Slams UEFA After Fenerbahce’s Champions League Thriller
Jose Mourinho was left fuming after Fenerbahce’s thrilling 4-3 win over Lugano in the Champions League, and his frustrations weren’t just limited to his team’s performance.
[Getty Image: Jose Mourinho was not happy with UEFA’s decision to allow the match to be played on a synthetic pitch]
The 61-year-old manager was left seething after the match, which was played on a synthetic pitch at the Stockhorn Arena in Thun. Mourinho was quick to criticize UEFA’s decision to allow the match to be played on such a surface.
"We tried not to make excuses before the match, but playing quality football on a synthetic pitch is a challenge," Mourinho said. "The ball doesn’t move as it should, players struggle to dribble, and the game’s pace slows significantly. I can’t fathom why UEFA permits Champions League matches on synthetic surfaces. It’s also perplexing why a good team like Lugano would choose to play on such a pitch. It wasn’t ideal for the game."
Mourinho’s comments come as a surprise, given that Fenerbahce’s players seemed to adapt well to the conditions, with Edin Dzeko netting a 21-minute hat-trick and Ferdi Kadioglu adding a fourth. However, Mourinho was left unimpressed with his team’s overall performance, conceding three goals in the process.
"A seven-goal game is thrilling for the fans, but from a coaching perspective, conceding three goals is problematic," Mourinho said. "I didn’t like conceding a goal from a set piece, the second goal was an easy shot and the third was not fair play, they should have given us the ball and they didn’t."
Despite the win, Fenerbahce will need to finish the job when Lugano visit the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul for the second leg on July 30. Should they eliminate Lugano, Fenerbahce will have to navigate the third qualifying round and the play-off round to earn a place in the Champions League group stage.
"I’m looking forward to a full stadium next Tuesday," Mourinho said. "Let’s give Lugano a warm reception. They’ll enjoy the atmosphere, no doubt."
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