Is Jose Mourinho the Most Hated Football Coach in History?

When Jose Mourinho signed for Fenerbahçe, many expected the usual: bold quotes, sideline drama, and maybe just maybe a title or two. But what no one expected was organized retaliation. 

Now, with leaked messages showing Turkish football officials allegedly plotting against him, the question lingers louder than ever: Is Jose Mourinho the most hated coach in football history?

The latest scandal in Turkey?

This week, the Turkish football scene was rocked when leaked group chats between members of the Turkish Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) revealed plans to retaliate against Mourinho in the upcoming season.

 “We’ve been too soft this year,” one said. Another promised, “We’ll deal with him next season.”

Why? Because Mourinho had the audacity to call them out. Fenerbahçe didn’t stay quiet. The club slammed the messages as “a direct violation of fairness” and demanded an official investigation. 

In an unprecedented move, the Chairperson and several top officials of the Disciplinary Committee resigned within days. It’s the kind of chaos only Mourinho seems to attract.

Why the Hate?

Let’s be honest: Mourinho isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. He’s arrogant, sarcastic, brutally honest and often right. He’s clashed with referees, players, fans, and entire football associations across Europe.

• In England, he labeled Arsène Wenger a “specialist in failure.”
  
• In Spain, he poked Tito Vilanova in the eye during a touchline melee.
  
• In Italy, he once mimed being handcuffed to protest referee decisions.
  
• At Real Madrid, his own players turned on him after years of internal conflict.
  
• At Chelsea (second stint), he lost the dressing room—and his job—after falling out with club doctor Eva Carneiro.
  

Yet somehow, he always finds another job. Why? Because love him or hate him, Mourinho wins.

Hated or Targeted?

The Turkish case paints a different picture, not of a loudmouth coach picking fights, but of a football establishment actively plotting against him. When disciplinary officials privately discuss taking him down, it stops being about attitude and becomes a question of bias and fear.

Maybe Mourinho isn’t the most hated coach.
Maybe he’s just the one who says what everyone else is scared to.

Jose Mourinho has always been a disruptor

He questions referees, criticizes football bodies, and refuses to play by unwritten rules. In return, he’s often fined, banned, or painted as the villain. 

But this latest Turkish scandal suggests that sometimes, the hate isn’t just emotional, it’s institutional.