The Europa League clash between Fenerbahçe and Anderlecht was a warm reunion between José Mourinho and Jan Vertonghen. The Portuguese coach had worked with the Belgian defender at Tottenham Hotspur and had not forgotten him.
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The Europa League clash between Fenerbahçe and Anderlecht ended in a convincing 3-0 victory for the Turkish side, putting them one step away from the Round of 16.
However, beyond the result, the match was marked by a special reunion between José Mourinho and Jan Vertonghen. The experienced Belgian defender was included in Anderlecht’s squad for the first time after a long injury spell but did not take the field. Despite that, Mourinho received a special gift from him a match shirt which he greatly appreciated.
"I love having shirts from players I have good memories of," Mourinho said with a smile after the match while speaking to Belgian media. "Jan is a great footballer and an even better person. My players will always remain my players. It doesn’t matter if they play against me or not. They will always be my boys."
Thorgan Hazard, another familiar face from Mourinho’s past, also shared a warm moment with the Portuguese coach. Hazard was once a Chelsea player during Mourinho’s second spell at the club, and their brief encounter before the match reflected the mutual respect between them.
Mourinho had little to complain about on the night, as his Fenerbahçe side dominated the match. Goals from Dusan Tadic, Edin Dzeko, and Youssef En-Nesyri secured the 3-0 victory, putting them in a commanding position ahead of the second leg in Belgium.
While Mourinho was unusually pleased with the refereeing, Anderlecht had a very different perspective. The Belgian team felt hard done by, believing they were disadvantaged by several controversial decisions made by referee Nikola Dabanovic. They argued that Fenerbahçe’s first goal came from an incorrectly awarded corner and that they were denied a clear penalty for a handball by Fred.
"I'm not going to say we were robbed, but we certainly weren't helped," said Anderlecht coach David Hubert at his post-match press conference. "The first goal shouldn’t have been a corner, but we also defended poorly in that situation. And for me, the handball should have been a penalty. Moments like these can change games."
Goalkeeper Colin Coosemans echoed his coach’s frustration, criticizing the officiating. "We were definitely not helped: the 1-0 came from a corner that shouldn’t have been given, it was a clear handball by Fred, and the elbow on Tristan Degreef before their second goal was questionable. That didn’t help us on the contrary. But we’re not going to blame everything on that alone."
VAR played a key role in the match, with several lengthy reviews that left players and coaches frustrated. Mourinho, however, chose to remain neutral when discussing the officiating. "Regarding the details, I can only say that I saw those moments from the sidelines. I haven’t reviewed any replays yet. But when VAR takes three minutes to make a decision, it's probably a debatable call but usually the right one."
With this emphatic victory, Fenerbahçe now holds a major advantage heading into the second leg in Belgium. Anderlecht will need a near-perfect performance to overturn the deficit and keep their European hopes alive. For Mourinho, the night was not only about securing an important result but also about reconnecting with former players, reinforcing his long-standing philosophy that once a player has been under his guidance, they will always be part of his footballing family. As the competition progresses, Fenerbahçe fans will hope Mourinho’s experience and tactical expertise can guide them deep into the tournament, while Anderlecht must regroup and fight back in the return leg.
Updated: 12:12, 14 Feb 2025
