What Jose Mourinho has previously said about managing Rangers as he’s sacked by Fenerbahce
Jose Mourinho was linked with the Rangers job earlier in 2025, back when he was in charge of Fenerbahce.
However, the Portuguese manager has now been sacked by the Turkish club as they failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Fenerbahce made the news official on Friday morning that they had parted ways with Mourinho.
Mourinho was touted as one of the top candidates for Rangers in May, but the club ended up hiring Russell Martin, who is already facing the heat at Ibrox.
Jose Mourinho revealed he’s open to managing Rangers
Back in March, Rangers took on Fenerbahce in the last 16 of the Europa League and Mourinho visited Ibrox.
He was then quizzed about potentially managing in Scotland as his contract at the Turkish side was to expire in 2026.
The self-proclaimed “Special One” admitted that both Gers and Celtic were big clubs with big fanbases and that he’d be open to managing one of them.
- Mourinho is a two-time Champions League winner
- The Portuguese manager has three Premier League titles to his name
- He is available without compensation after he was sacked by Fenerbahce
When asked about taking over one of the aforementioned clubs, he said: “In this moment, no, because I have a job that motivates me and a job that demands loyalty. But why not in the future?
“People can say that the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it’s a league of passion. It’s a league of passion. And for me, passion in football is everything.
“For me, to play in empty stadiums, to play in competitions where there is not that fire of the passion doesn’t make any sense.
“And Celtic and Rangers, they are big clubs with big fan bases, with big emotions, big responsibilities, big expectations. Why not?
“But in this moment, I have a job. Celtic has a fantastic coach like Brendan (Rodgers). Rangers has (Barry) Ferguson now, so full respect for them and I’m not searching for a new job.”
Russell Martin has already lost the Ibrox faithful
Martin is arguably the quickest Rangers manager to lose the fans’ trust, with his tenure unravelling after just 10 games due to a string of dismal performances, culminating in a humiliating 6-0 Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.
His overly optimistic pre-match promises of a beautiful future starkly contrast with the team’s defensive frailties and inability to compete against other SPFL clubs.
Fans, already sceptical of his appointment, have grown furious at his tactical missteps, questionable signings like Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons and the team’s regression, with no discernible improvement.
Facing a mountain to climb, Martin must overcome a toxic fanbase atmosphere, a lack of results and an upcoming high-stakes Old Firm clash.
The board’s patience may buy him time, but without rapid progress, winning back a disillusioned support, desperate for success, seems an almost insurmountable challenge.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.