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Fred breaks silence as he reunites with former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

Posted on by angelo
Fred breaks silence as he reunites with former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

Fred might have thought he had seen the last of José Mourinho when Manchester United handed the Portuguese his P45 in December 2018.

Just months after playing a key role in the Brazilian’s £47million arrival at Old Trafford, Fred saw the man who brought him to England in the first place sent packing after a lacklustre defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool.

But if Fred felt he had unfinished business with Mourinho, his prayers were answered when the two former Manchester United players reunited in Istanbul last month.

And with Fenerbahce determined to climb to the top of Turkish football once again – ten years on from their last Super Lig title – then who better than the trophy winner himself to turn that dream into reality?

Manchester United's Fred celebrates after the team's victory in the penalty shootout during the Emirates FA Cup semi-final match between Brighton...
Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images

Fred reunites with former Manchester United boss

Fener could hardly have come close in 2023/24.

Ismail Kartal guided Fred and his teammates to 99 points and just one league defeat, but still ended the campaign jobless and without a league title, with bitter rivals Galatasaray breaking the 100-point barrier.

Now, six years after their collaboration at Manchester United ended after just a few short and largely disappointing months, could the Fred/Mourinho duo be the driving force behind a successful title race in Turkey?

“I worked with Mourinho at Manchester United. He took me there himself,” Fred tells Sporx. “Everyone knows what a good coach he is.

“He’s a very big name. He’s someone who always wants to win. We’re very happy to work with him. We have a long season ahead of us and we always want to win.

“We want to be defending champions and we want to be in the Champions League. Mourinho is someone with that mentality.

“We are working well and trying to move forward with confidence. »

Mourinho wasted no time in wowing Fenerbahçe fans. Welcomed by an arrival that would shame the Tyneside unveiled by Alan Shearer in 1995, the former manager of Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid is already making Fener fans dream that the glory days are on the way back at the Sukru Sarakoglu Stadium.

Fenerbahce aims for title with José Mourinho

“Training with Mourinho is going well,” adds Fred, who left Manchester United last summer for £13million. “The training we did with him is very intense. We train for long periods of time, but it has to be this way. »

“We are going to start an important season. We are training well. We have made a good start. We have to be in good shape.”

Mourinho recently ruled out a deal that would see him reunite with former Man United frontman Romelu Lukaku at Fenerbahce. According to The Telegraph, however, the Super Lig finalists are in active negotiations with Victor Lindelof.

Another player Mourinho brought to Old Trafford for big money.

Fred’s record at Fenerbahce speaks for itself. Kartal’s team went undefeated in their 25 league appearances, winning 22 of them. The midfielder’s impact is comparable to that of basketball legend Michael Jordan at the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

The only frustration is that Fred wasn’t more present. If he hadn’t missed 13 games through injury and suspension, would the title have ended up on the other side of the finish line in Istanbul?

“Last season was difficult for me,” sighs the Brazilian international. “It was the first time I had so many injuries. It was difficult for me.

“It could have been different if I hadn’t had so many injuries, but there’s nothing you can do. You have to keep your head up. I’ll come back stronger for the new season. I worked during the holidays and I’m in good shape.”

“I hope I don’t get hurt. I also have a trainer that I work with at home. I hope we all do better this season. »

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