Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has flatly dismissed “ridiculous” rumors linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a potential transfer in the Turkish Super League.
The outspoken Portuguese coach was appointed by Fenerbahce in the summer after being fired by Roma. Mourinho has continued to deliver his signature verbal outbursts, notably throwing one eight minutes against the entire division earlier this month.
When asked about a possible meeting with Ronaldo after rumors emerged of a phone call between the two compatriots, Mourinho took about eight seconds to reply: “The news about Cristiano Ronaldo at Fenerbahce is ridiculous.”
Ronaldo He spent three seasons playing for Mourinho’s Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013. The powerful striker was at his peak, amassing an incredible 168 goals in 164 games during that period, although Madrid he only won the Copa del Rey and the League amid Barcelona’s dominance.
Approaching his 40th birthday, Ronaldo has shown no signs of imminent retirement. The Al Nassr striker has done it hinted that he might still be playing in 2027. However, his contract with the Saudi Pro League side expires at the end of this season, leading some to suggest that he may already be preparing his next move.
Mourinho was quick to insist that Ronaldo’s next destination would not be Istanbul, at least not professionally. “Maybe Cristiano will come to Istanbul to eat because it’s right in the middle of the road between Saudi Arabia and Portugal,” joked the veteran coach. “Or maybe he’ll come to see his old friend Jose, we can eat at my hotel.”
The Portuguese duo share the same influential super agent Jorge Mendes, a fact Mourinho pointed out during particularly strained moments in their relationship while together in Madrid. “I have to take care of you,” the coach once told Ronaldo in front of a packed dressing room, “because you are my brother’s brother, and when someone is their brother’s brother, that makes them a brother too.” .