Europa League: Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce to take on Rangers

Jose Mourinho has one job – to turn bridesmaid Fenerbahce into the blushing star of the show.

The Istanbul club are a ball of frustration on the banks of the Bosphorus, a scenario illustrated perfectly by Mourinho in his short time in the Turkish capital.

The 62-year-old is no stranger to courting controversy of course, but in the firepit of Istanbul football he has rubbed plenty up the wrong way with his regular tirades at the Turkish referees in particular.

You do not have to pour much petrol on football in this city to engulf it in flames.

Indeed, following last week’s derby stalemate with reigning champions, league leaders and bitter rivals Galatasaray, Mourinho received a four-game domestic ban – which was later halved – for his post-match comments.

He was not railing against Turkish officials this time though, because experienced Slovenian Slavko Vincic – who took charge of Rangers’ Europa League final in 2022 – was drafted in to take charge at the request of both clubs.

The legendary Portuguese will however be in the dugout for their last-16 meeting against Barry Ferguson’s Rangers as he continues to hunt down a sixth European trophy.

His first continental success would rather be forgotten by Celtic supporters, given it was he who masterminded Porto’s Uefa Cup victory in the Seville sunshine in 2003 against Martin O’Neill’s team.

A year later and it was the big one for ‘The Special One’, as Porto defeated Monaco in Gelsenkirchen to lift the Champions League.

It is perhaps surprising he has only got his hands on the European Cup once more since then, when he did so with Inter Milan in 2010.

The 2017 Europa League was won with Manchester United and five years later Mourinho completed the set by guiding Roma to the inaugural Conference League title.

Fenerbahce are strong and have invested significantly in their bid to wrestle the Turkish title back from their neighbours.

They have largely been starved of success in recent times and have mostly watched Galatasaray and Besiktas win Super Lig since their last triumph 11 years ago. Even the unheralded Istanbul Baskakhsehir have won it during these barren years.