Jose Mourinho Gives Hilarious Reply To Journalist Questioning Playing XI
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Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho explained his rotating starting XI by saying that he tosses coins with players' faces.
Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho on Friday gave a hilarious reply to a journalist questioning his different starting XI for every match, saying that he chooses the players by tossing coins with their faces on them, and the coins that fall on the table are the players who start.
Mourinho, speaking after a 0-all draw in the Istanbul derby in February, said that the Galatsaray bench had been jumping like monkeys when appealing for refereeing decisions to go in their favour, a comment that had drawn flak.
Mourinho made more headlines when he was asked during a press conference why he had used a different starting XI in 31 games this season.
'I have 25 coins, I throw the coins in the air. The ones that stay on the table are the ones that I play. The ones that go on the floor go on the bench. I do it just like this. During the week, I'm having fun," Mourinho said.
pic.twitter.com/osLpFw4rwk — Sports Numbers (@Sports_Numberz) May 11, 2025
'I go to nightclubs every day in Istanbul, everywhere. And then, when it's time to choose the team, I throw coins with the players' faces. The 11 that stay on the table are the 11 that play," Mourinho said.
After March's 3-1 loss to the Rangers, the Portuguese manager pretended to fall asleep in his chair as the journalist spoke on in Turkish.
'Oh, this is too much for my head. I'm tired, man. 90 minutes not to listen to all of this, I'm too tired for that," Mourinho said.
The Portuguese manager has been linked with a move to the Rangers, but this week, Fenerbahce president Ali Koc said that the former had unfinished business in Turkey.
Koc is confident that Mourinho is happy where he is and revealed that he had already rejected a lucrative approach earlier in the season.
'We want to continue with Jose Mourinho for stability. I find it more appropriate for Mourinho to continue for the benefit of Fenerbahce. Jose Mourinho was offered 36 million Euros (£30m) during the mid-season break, but he chose to stay at the club," Koc said.
Fenerbahçe play their next game against Eyüpspor on Sunday, May 18, in Şükrü Saracoğlu.
First Published:
May 12, 2025, 09:53 IST
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