Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has successfully undergone surgery, downplaying concerns about his health.
Following speculation from Turkey last week that Mourinho would depart for medical treatment abroad after Fenerbahce’s 1-1 draw with Eyupspor, the football world rallied around the former Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Inter Milan boss.
Mourinho took to Instagram to reassure fans, stating in a video message: “Happy Christmas and thank you for so many messages. Wishing everyone a happy holiday season. May this time be full of love and happiness for you and your families.
“For those of you who have shown concern, I can confirm reports of my surgery have been greatly exaggerated, it’s just a quick and minor procedure. I will resume training on the first day back from the holidays, as always.”
He added confidently: “I’ve never missed a session in 25 years, and I don’t intend to start now.”
Currently, Fenerbahce sit second in the league, trailing eight points behind reigning champions Galatasaray. They are set to return to the pitch in the new year, hosting Hatayspor on January 5.
Mourinho openly expressed his discontent with his team’s sub-par outing against Eyupspor after a disappointing draw, criticising what he labelled a “weak performance” post-match.
The ex-Roma manager didn’t mince words, stating: “It was a disaster. How much of the match was played, how many stoppages were there during the match, how long were the players on the ground? This happened many times.
“Therefore, the quality of the match was low. There were also many technical errors. There were many technical errors. For me, it was a weak, low-quality match.
“I am not responsible for the match being of such low quality, I am responsible for my own team, and my team also showed a weak performance today.
“We made a lot of technical errors individually. It was difficult for us to hold and turn the ball. We made a lot of mistakes in playmaking. We were much better in the second half, we created positions, we used the edges better.
“Although I would not say clear positions, we got into positions. Some of the ball losses we made also gave the opponent an opportunity. It gave them the opportunity to make a counter-attack. It was a weak match, a weak performance on our behalf.”
