Mourinho was helpless as Fenerbahce were knocked out of the Champions League by Benfica.

Jose Mourinho watched with disappointment as Fenerbahce bowed their heads to Benfica with a 0-1 defeat, once again shattering their dream of participating in the Champions League group stage.

At the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Benfica continued their Champions League dream, while Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce faced a bitter reality.

Fenerbahce failed to create any surprises. Photo: FSK

For the second consecutive season, Fenerbahce were stopped just before the group stage, extending their 17-year absence from Europe's most prestigious club football competition.

Kerem Akturkoglu's solitary goal in the 35th minute secured a 1-0 victory for the home side Benfica, concluding the play-off series with a minimal but sufficient aggregate score.

Notably, Akturkoglu is a target that Mourinho is trying to bring to Fenerbahce but has not yet succeeded.

What made this defeat even more devastating was the context surrounding Mourinho.

Mourinho was helpless on his return to the Stadium of Light. Photo: FSK

Fenerbahce spent heavily in two consecutive summers, bringing in big-name players and giving "The Special One" complete control over building his playing style.

However, after their defeat against Lille in the third qualifying round of the 2024/25 season, the Turkish team repeated the same scenario.

This time, against Benfica – an experienced opponent but not necessarily superior in terms of squad strength – Mourinho was still helpless.

For 180 minutes, Fenerbahce failed to score a single goal. In Istanbul, Mourinho's team missed opportunities when their opponents were reduced to ten men.

In Lisbon, in the decisive match, they produced almost no impact. When a change was needed, Mourinho couldn't find any new formula.

Benfica deserved to be in the Champions League group stage. Photo: SLB

The style of play, which emphasizes tight defense and waiting for opportunities to counter-attack, no longer creates surprises, while the highly anticipated signings have remained silent.

Once again, the question of Mourinho's lack of ideas has been raised. Once a master in the Champions League, he has now gone two consecutive seasons without being able to lead Fenerbahce to the group stage.

Outdated tactics make the Turkish team more suited to the Europa League than Europe's biggest stage.

Seemingly anticipating elimination, Mourinho defended himself even before kick-off in Lisbon by criticizing the Fenerbahce management. “If the Champions League is the club’s main objective, there should have been more action in the transfer window.”

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mourinho-het-bai-fenerbahce-thua-benfica-o-cup-c1-2436933.html