NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The announced return of José Mourinho to the management of football will offer him a complicated reunion with a former Manchester United player he never wanted to sign.
Mourinho is set to sign a two-year contract with Turkish club Fenerbahce coach, which would be the 11th managerial position in his storied career.
The 61-year-old Portuguese has been off the bench since sacking Serie A side Roma following a series of disappointing results.
However, his wonderful move to Turkey will mean a difficult reunion for Mourinho with former United midfielder Fred.
The Brazilian midfielder signed for Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in June 2018 for £47m as the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager was set for his third season at the club.
However, Fred endured a rocky relationship with Mourinho before the latter sacked him in December of that year.
After being substituted in a Champions League match against Valencia, Mourinho reportedly told the midfielder that “his days [at the club] are numbered. “
Following his dismissal from the club, a report from The Athletic reported that Mourinho didn’t even try to sign Fred in the first place.
United’s manager at the time reportedly agreed to the deal because he felt he wouldn’t get any new midfielder if he made a mockery of the Brazilian.
Fred had a productive first season in Turkey, making 35 appearances for Fenerbahce in all competitions and scoring 3 goals.
Despite their efforts, Fenerbahce finished three distances behind eventual Super Lig champions Galatasaray, meaning they have gone a decade without a Turkish title.
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