Mourinho turns failure into money

Eliminated from the Champions League, Mourinho lost his job at Fenerbahce. But as usual, he left with a huge compensation, bringing the total amount of money "earned" from the dismissal to 110 million euros.

No longer the “Special One” on the pitch, Jose Mourinho now stands out with another record: becoming the coach who “earned the most money while unemployed”. After the failure with Fenerbahce in the Champions League, the Portuguese strategist left with a compensation of 16 million euros - bringing the total amount he earned from seven dismissals to 110 million euros.

Why Mourinho lost his job in Türkiye

The image of Mourinho alone at Istanbul airport quickly became a symbol of a noisy but inevitable farewell. Fenerbahce had high hopes when they hired him in the summer of 2024, with the aim of conquering the Champions League and ending Galatasaray's dominance in Turkey. But defeat to Benfica in the 2025/26 European play-offs exhausted the patience of president Ali Koç.

Ali Koç is more than just a football manager. He is also a powerful businessman , a natural competitor, and is about to face a presidential election. In that context, keeping Mourinho, who has openly criticised the transfer business, is too risky a gamble.

In particular, the “final blow” came when Fenerbahce signed Aktürkoğlu for 25 million euros right after Mourinho left. This midfielder had previously scored for Benfica to eliminate Fenerbahce, turning Mourinho’s bitterness into an irony that was hard to swallow.

Notably, the prominent figure behind the scenes is Devin Özek, the new 30-year-old sporting director of Turkish-German descent, who studied at Bayer Leverkusen and is a close confidant of Xabi Alonso. Appointed at Mourinho’s suggestion, Özek completed 7 deals for just 30 million euros. But that effort was still not enough to cover up the conflict between the veteran coach and the board.

Over the past 20 years, Mourinho has been skillful in signing "solid as a hammer" contracts, with generous compensation clauses.

If Mourinho is increasingly obscure on the pitch, in the football business world, he is still "Scrooge Mourinho" - a satirical nickname for his ability to rake in profits from dismissals. Fenerbahce had to pay 16 million euros to end a 3-year contract worth 10.5 million euros/year early. This is no exception.

Over the past 20 years, Mourinho has cleverly signed “solid as a hammer” contracts, with generous compensation clauses. The result: a total of 110 million euros just because of being… fired. Chelsea paid 21 million the first time (2007), Real Madrid (2013) paid 20 million, Chelsea the second time (2015) added 10 million. Manchester United is the “gold mine” with 23 million, while Tottenham had to pay 17 million, Roma - despite being tight - also lost 3 million to say goodbye.

Behind that number lies a paradox: Mourinho no longer conquers titles like before, but always knows how to protect his financial interests. Even when he is mocked as “The Crying One”, he still maintains the image of a coach who is a master of contract negotiations.

Where will Mourinho go next?

The question is: Where will Mourinho go next? At 62, he seems to no longer be interested in the invitations from Saudi Arabia - the land that attracts countless stars with mountains of money. Instead, a scenario is increasingly realistic: the position of head coach of the Portuguese national team.

That desire has been raised many times, but Mourinho has always refused, citing the reason of wanting to stick with the club. Now, the situation may be different.

Roberto Martinez has just led Portugal to the Nations League title and is looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup in the United States. But after that tournament, the Portuguese Football Federation may consider a change. For Mourinho, it would be a chance to end his coaching career with a national challenge - something he has repeatedly put off.

Mourinho may no longer be the “Special One” on the pitch, but he is certainly still the “Special One” in the art of… saying goodbye.

Of course, the possibility of a big European club suddenly calling is still there. History has proven that Mourinho is always an easy name to put on the "shortlist" whenever a hot seat is vacant.

But he also understands that this “cycle of fate” cannot last forever. Today’s top clubs favor a modern style of football that focuses on control and pressing – something Mourinho has more or less lost touch with.

The Mourinho story reflects a reality: modern football is not measured by trophies alone, but also by negotiation and personal management skills. His successes at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid have faded over time, but his ability to turn failure into an asset still makes him a unique phenomenon.

Mourinho may no longer be the “Special One” on the pitch, but he is certainly still the “Special One” in the art of… saying goodbye. And the 110 million euros from the dismissals is the clearest proof of that “legacy” – a legacy that is not necessarily as shiny as silver cups, but makes the whole world talk.

Source: https://znews.vn/mourinho-bien-that-bai-thanh-tien-post1581950.html