Mourinho responds to Dursun Özbek's remarks

Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho met with members of the press ahead of the Beşiktaş derby.

The Portuguese manager addressed a wide range of topics, from the Yellow-Navy Blues' transfer target Anderson Talisca to the recent statements made by Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek.

BEŞİKTAŞ DERBY

Stating that the Beşiktaş derby will be difficult and that an atmosphere has been created as if they were playing against an easy opponent, Mourinho emphasized that this is not the case. Mourinho continued as follows:

"I have won 8 league titles in my career. All of them were the result of the community standing together in unity. We will face Beşiktaş. There is a perception that it will be a very easy match. I wouldn't say fear, but I have great respect for our opponent and I know well that it will be a very difficult match.

We will play against a very good opponent. They are 13 points behind Galatasaray. They are also 10 points behind us. You could say they have no chance of winning the championship because they are so far behind both teams, but even if nothing else, they will want to win the derby. That is why I want the communities to keep their feet on the ground."

'IT HAS NOT BEEN CHAMPION FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE'

Touching upon Fenerbahçe's long championship drought, Mourinho continued:

"Fenerbahçe has not been champion in the league for a long time because Fenerbahçe is fighting against something stronger and more challenging than itself. We must not lose our balance when things are not going well. We have a very difficult match tomorrow. We haven't talked enough about the derby match; we are at a moment where we have lost our balance. We have reduced the point gap with our rival, we beat Slavia Prague away. We are at a moment where we must not lose our balance as a community."

"THE DERBY IS NOT DECISIVE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP"

Jose Mourinho stated that they know the importance of the Beşiktaş derby, but the match will not be decisive in the championship race.

Underlining that the derby is important for both communities, Mourinho stated the following:

"I don't think the match is decisive, but it is an important encounter. Beşiktaş has similar potential to Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, but a serious point gap has formed in between. It is very difficult for them to close the gap. Beşiktaş is really very far away, so if they win the derby, it will not put them in the championship race. There is still a long way to go, so I don't think the derby will be decisive. We have reduced the point gap with the top to 3. Even if we lose the derby, our championship race will not end."

REMARKABLE CRISTIANO RONALDO STATEMENT

Jose Mourinho expressed that he is very satisfied with the players in his center-forward line.

The 61-year-old manager gave the following response to a question about the transfer of Portuguese world star Cristiano Ronaldo, which came to the agenda some time ago:

"Ronaldo will not come. The first reason is that I have 3 very good center-forwards and I don't want a striker. Cristiano is always Cristiano, but I don't want him because I am satisfied with my strikers. He has the money he earns in Arabia and a 1000-goal target. Other than the beauty of Istanbul, what could motivate him to come to Turkey? I don't like the January transfer window very much because the player who comes then needs a certain amount of time. I never say no to a transfer, but I don't go and knock on Ali Bey's or Acun Bey's door and ask for a transfer. I just want wins without photos."

'TALISCA IS A VERY GOOD PLAYER BUT...'

Jose Mourinho stated that he did not make any requests to the management for the winter transfer window.

Emphasizing that he aims to improve the team he started the season with, the experienced manager continued:

"I didn't ask for anyone for the January transfer, I didn't make a request. My job is to improve the players given to me in the summer. I said I was obsessed with winning people over, but my job is to develop as much as it is to win. Imagine not giving Oğuz a chance and buying a winger in the winter transfer, the player is finished then. Jayden left because he was injured, but Kostic and Levent are playing. Mert is playing in European matches. Not every team can be like City; when that happens, you have to deal with 115 charges.

If the club decides to do something, I don't tell the club anything, there is no misunderstanding between us. The club doesn't buy the player I say don't buy anyway, there is respect between us on this matter. Talisca is a very good player, there is no doubt about that, but Tadic, İrfan, and Szymanski are also very good players. I don't put any pressure on Acun Ilıcalı and the president."

'CENK TOSUN IS A VERY GOOD PLAYER'

Explaining that Cenk Tosun is a very good footballer, the Portuguese coach assessed, "Cenk is a very good player, there is a big difference between when he first arrived and his current state. There is a big difference in terms of physicality and tempo. He is more than ready to play, he will score goals, there will be important goals. I think it's a coincidence that we scored while he was warming up. The match was difficult, we had control, but we have a deficiency in the forward line. The referee was going to give 8-10 minutes of stoppage time, so he would have played 20-25 minutes if he had entered the game. He was already happy because we won. He said, 'It's more important for the team to win than for me to enter the game'."

'I FELT SORRY FOR DURSUN ÖZBEK'

Mourinho's agenda also included the harsh statements of Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek. Regarding Özbek's words, "I will gouge out the eyes of those who covet Galatasaray's points. I will break the hands of those who touch them," the Portuguese coach said:

"I have to say this about the president who says he will gouge out eyes. You either cry or laugh at this situation. I choose to laugh. When I look at the reflections in the world press, I was ashamed of this situation and felt sorry for him."

WORDS ON FATİH TERİM

Mourinho concluded his words with the following expressions regarding his relationship with Fatih Terim, the former manager of Galatasaray and the national team:

"I love Fatih very much. We faced Galatasaray when I was managing Real Madrid. Some of my players later became his players. He even invited me to his own home on vacation and I met his wife. Since the moment I set foot in Istanbul, we haven't even spoken on the phone once. He is free, but he represents Galatasaray and I represent Fenerbahçe. This may have put a brake on our relationship. I don't want to talk about the idea of him being the coach of Galatasaray because that would be disrespectful to Okan Buruk."