So it’s Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce, then, standing in Rangers’ way as Philippe Clement dreams of salvaging an underwhelming season with a run to the Europa League final.
After the Turkish giants swept past Anderlecht in their play-off round, it was to be between Fenerbahce and Bodo/Glimt for the honour of facing Rangers in the competition’s last-16.
Now, Rangers have never faced off against Jose Mourinho before. Not in a competitive sense, at least.
This, then, represents a historic meeting between one of the most storied, successful clubs on the continent and a manager looking to add a sixth European title to his collection of Europa Leagues, UEFA Cups, Conference Leagues and two Champions League winner’s medals.
There is not only a place in the quarter-finals at stake, either. But also the opportunity for Philippe Clement – a manager who’s success in this season’s competition has papered over some pretty cavernous domestic cracks – to show himself capable of outwitting one of the football’s most iconic tacticians as he looks to prove to the San Fransisco 49ers that he is the right man to take Rangers forward.
Jose Mourinho reportedly wants two Rangers stars at Fenerbahce
Mourinho, while confirming that Brazilian midfielder Fred will be unavailable for the trip to Rangers through suspension, sounded like a man champing at the bit ahead of a first-ever visit to Ibrox for a man who still has at least one iconic arena to tick off his bucket list.
The former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester United boss may have got one over on The Hoops in the distant past – forever earning himself a place in Rangers hearts after his Porto team denied Celtic UEFA Cup glory in 2003 – but the blue side of Glasgow remains uncharted, unconquered, territory for Mourinho.
Reports indicating that Fenerbahce are interested in signing two current members of Clement’s squad, meanwhile, add another layer of intrigue to one of the Europa League’ stand-out last-16 ties.
Ridvan Yilmaz reportedly turned down Fenerbahce in the January transfer window. The Turkish left-back, formerly of Fener’s Istanbul neighbours Besiktas, opted instead to commit his future to Rangers.
Ridvan Yilmaz is dreaming of Premiership glory in that blue shirt. And he has little appetite for a return to the Super Lig until his task is complete.
“I love this country and the people here,” Yilmaz said recently. “I feel Scottish because of what everyone has taught me!
“I can’t say it has gone as well as I had hoped because, at this club, you always want to be the champions. We haven’t done that yet when I have been here. We always try our best and I can assure everyone that the gaffer and my teammates want to achieve that.”
Mourinho was interested in bringing Ianis Hagi to Tottenham
The resurgent Ianis Hagi has an admirer in Jose Mourinho, too. And with the Romanian’s contract expiring this summer, reports indicate that Galatasaray are not the only Turkish giant interested in signing Hagi on a free transfer.
Giovani Becali, a Romanian businessman who knows Mourinho well, confirmed back in 2020 that the Portuguese’s Tottenham Hotspur side – as well as Manchester City – had enquired about Hagi during his early days in Scotland.
“I have been asked personally by Jose Mourinho and (City director) Txiki Begiristain about Ianis Hagi,” Becali said at the time.
“They wanted to know about him and how he was getting on. There’s a lot of top people in European football who know all about Ianis and what he can do.”
Five years on, with Ianis Hagi stunning fans and pundits alike with the extent of his impact since forcing his way back into the Rangers picture, Mourinho will finally get the chance to watch a player he has admired from afar up close.
