Portuguese coach was annoyed by a long question moments after his team lost 3-1 to Rangers
Mourinho Pretends to Be Asleep in Press Conference After Fenerbahçe’s Defeat; See His Facial Expressions
The controversial tenure of José Mourinho at Fenerbahçe gained another chapter on Thursday in the Europa League. After his team lost 3-1 at home to Rangers in the Europa League, the Portuguese coach was irritated by a long question and pretended to fall asleep while the reporter was asking it.
— Ah, this is too much for my head. I’m tired, man, 90 minutes without listening to all this, I’m too tired for this — he said.
To advance to the Europa League quarter-finals, Fenerbahçe needs to win by three goals in Scotland. If they win by two, they will force extra time.
— We played very badly in all areas of the field. I don’t think it’s fair to say we were very bad in defense because we were very bad in all areas.
Mourinho was so harsh in his criticism that he considered it a relief to lose by just two goals in Turkey.
— Maybe you’ll laugh, but for me, it was a good result because with the way we played, the score could have been much worse than this.
As much as I’ve always found José Mourinho entertaining, I think his gesture at the press conference, pretending to fall asleep during a reporter’s question he crosses a line. Yeah, it was kind of funny at first glance, especially because Mourinho has that sarcastic edge we’ve all come to expect. But when you really think about it, it’s also incredibly disrespectful, especially in a professional setting right after a tough loss.
Reporters are just doing their jobs, trying to ask questions that fans and viewers want answered. Whether the question was long or not, reacting like that sends a message that he’s above criticism or accountability. As a coach, especially one with such a high profile, he should be setting an example of professionalism, even in frustrating moments. His attitude might make headlines, but it also reflects poorly on the club and disrespects the work of journalists who are there to cover the sport.
Mourinho’s honesty about the poor performance was refreshing, but that gesture? It just overshadowed everything else.