Mourinho's Fenerbahce fails to reach revamped Champions League after elimination by Lille
Fenerbahce's head coach Jose Mourinho stands on the pitch during the Turkish Super Lig soccer match between Fenerbahce and Adana Demirspor in Istanbul, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. Credit: AP
ISTANBUL — Jose Mourinho's hopes of leading Fenerbahce into the revamped Champions League ended Tuesday when the Turkish team was knocked out in the third qualifying round by Lille.
Lille advanced as the 3-2 winner after two legs as Jonathan David converted a penalty in the 118th minute to secure a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Fenerbahce scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time through Bafode Diakite's own-goal to go 1-0 ahead in the second leg in Istanbul and take the match to extra time. Lille won the first leg 2-1.
Mourinho was hired in June on an $11 million annual salary to try to win Fenerbahce’s first Turkish league title since 2014. He was attempting to get his new team into the revamped 36-team league stage of the Champions League, which he won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.
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