Mourinho Insists Fenerbahçe’s 3-1 Defeat To Rangers Is Fair For His Team

Fenerbahce’s manager, Jose Mourinho, has suggested that his team’s 3-1 home defeat to Rangers in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, March 6, wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

The match kicked off with an electrifying start, as Nigerian striker, Cyriel Dessers put Rangers ahead just six minutes in. The early goal set a challenging tone for Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, but the hosts managed to respond when Alexander Djiku found the net, levelling the score at 1-1.

However, the game ultimately tilted in favour of the Scottish side when Vaclav Cerny scored twice, sealing a remarkable victory for Rangers at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

When asked about his team’s performance and where it went wrong, Mourinho stated, “Everything.”

He emphasized his belief that despite the loss, the result could have been even more damaging. “The result is good for us. I know that [Rangers goalkeeper Jack] Butland had two or three fantastic saves, but I would say that the result is closer to being bigger than smaller, so for us, it’s a good result,” he explained.

Despite the setback, Fenerbahce is determined to turn the tables in the second leg of the tie, which will take place next week.

On the other side of the pitch, Cyriel Dessers expressed pride in the Rangers’ performance during the highly competitive clash.

The Nigerian striker not only scored a goal but also provided an assist, showcasing his pivotal role in the match. Dessers had two additional goals disallowed for offside during the second half.

Reflecting on the team’s achievement, Dessers remarked, “Overall, I think we can be very happy with this evening. We handled them well. It will not be easy to handle them again next week, but you can see that we can hurt any team on the counterattack.”