Striking remarks from Mario Branco about his Fenerbahçe era

Mario Branco, who parted ways with Fenerbahçe after the 2024-25 season to head to Benfica, shared striking insights about his tenure at the club. Speaking on Yağız Sabuncuoğlu’s YouTube channel, Branco addressed the perception of failure following Jose Mourinho’s inability to win the championship and made the following assessment:

"Are you saying Mourinho was a failure? The team scored 84 points with Mourinho. In the previous season, that point total was enough for the championship. We collected 80 points with Jesus, 99 points with İsmail Kartal, and 84 points with Mourinho. Sometimes, when evaluating success, one must also analyze the conditions at the time."

Branco added that a team's performance throughout the season should not be reduced solely to winning a trophy.

Clarifying the process of the Portuguese coach's arrival at the yellow-navy club, Branco stated that the search for a new foreign head coach began toward the end of the season. The Portuguese sports executive noted that he was one of the first people to contact Mourinho and added that both presidential candidates were in agreement regarding Mourinho:

"There was an election process in 2024, but we were already discussing the option of a foreign head coach while finishing the season with İsmail Kartal. I was probably the first person to communicate directly with Mourinho. In the end, we managed to bring him in. At that time, the coach both presidential candidates wanted was Mourinho."

THE TADIC DEPARTURE PERIOD

One of Branco’s standout statements concerned the importance of keeping Dusan Tadic on the team. Emphasizing that the experienced player added value to the squad not only with his statistics but also with his leadership off the pitch, Branco stated:

"If I had stayed at Fenerbahçe, one of the things I would have wanted to do was keep Tadic on the team. People say he is not the same as he used to be because of his age, but you know you will get a minimum of 15 goals and 15 assists from him every season. That means a contribution of 30 goals."

Furthermore, Branco mentioned that Tadic set an example for the team by being the first to arrive and the last to leave training, and that he valued his closeness to young players, noting that similar characteristics were observed in Milan Skriniar.

According to Mario Branco, there is a need in Fenerbahçe and across Turkey not only for football talent but also for players with the character to handle pressure and take on team leadership:

"What needs to be understood at Fenerbahçe and in Turkey is this; you don't just need good football players, you also need players who can lead and carry the pressure."

TURKEY IS NO LONGER THE FINAL DESTINATION IN TRANSFERS

Explaining that he made efforts to change the perception of Turkish football in the transfer market during his tenure, Branco highlighted that clubs are now able to send players to Europe's leading leagues:

"There were many players we tried to bring to Turkey but couldn't. In Western Europe, there is still a perception that sees Turkey as an 'Eldorado' for players who are in the decline of their careers, aged 32, and want to live a magnificent life in Istanbul. I tried to change this. And remember, while I was at Fenerbahçe, we sold players to Manchester United, Real Madrid, and the Bundesliga, meaning we are no longer the final destination in the transfer market."