Julius Okorie
There is never a dull moment with him. He calls himself the special one but some choose to call him Mr controversial because he never just walks past without raising some dust or ruffling feathers.
If he is not slugging it out with the referees over what he perceives as unfair officiating, he is putting a player who thinks he has become untouchable in his place, but many love him because he gets the job done.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelFormer Chelsea and AS Roma Coach Jose Mourinho, is back in the dugout this time with Fenerbahce in the Turkish Süper Lig.
When he dubs himself the special one he might be right because he is never out of job and out of the limelight.
He is never afraid of being sacked and getting the next job for him is always a matter of time.
After his shock departure in January from Italian side AS Roma he was linked with a whole lot of clubs and has now chosen to join Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce.
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They finished runners-up to Galatasaray last term and qualified for the Champions League which will certainly have been one of the deciding factors in his decision. He is used to the crowd so it was no surprise that thousands attended the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on Sunday to watch the signing ceremony, which took place on a huge stage built on the field.
Trust the two-time Champions League winner to have a way with words and expressions that tickle his admirers and opponents alike, hear him as he watches thousands of Fenerbahce fans cheering and singing with his name at the Stadium.
“Normally a coach is loved after victories; in this case I feel that I am loved before the victories.
“That is a big responsibility that I feel. I promise you from this moment, I belong to your family. This shirt is my skin.”
The 61-year-old replaces Ismail Kartal, who left Fenerbahce on Friday after they finished second in the league to city rivals Galatasaray, despite losing just one game and recording 99 points last term.
Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked by Roma in January after two-and-a-half seasons in charge.
The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
He has won 21 major honours across a 24-year managerial career that began in his home country Portugal at Benfica and included spells at Porto, Inter Milan and Tottenham, where he was relieved of his duties prior to the 2021 Carabao Cup final.
Mourinho’s last piece of silverware came with Roma in 2022, when he led them to the Europa Conference League, the club’s first European trophy and helped them reach the Europa League final the following season, where they lost to Sevilla on penalties.
Known for spotting players who can make instant hits, Mourinho compatriot and friend of former Super Eagles coach Jose Pesseiro, signed Nigeria born England international Tammy Abraham from Chelsea while at the helm in Roma where he scored 26 goals for Roma in 83 appearances.
Fernabahce who at one time had Super Eagles stars Joseph Yobo and Victor Moses featuring for them boasts of a vociferous fans who will be in a jolly ride, this time with the Special One.
The Turkish side will be the 11th club Jose has coached in the course of his managerial career.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
