Jose Mourinho 'set to terminate Fenerbahce player's contract' after Champions League qualifying exit

Jose Mourinho is set to terminate a player's contract at Fenerbahce after suffering Champions League elimination.

Mourinho has signed a lucrative two-year deal with the Istanbul outfit and already brought in a total of ten new players, including a loan deal for Allan Saint-Maximin and the capture of Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.

But the Portuguese manager has suffered an early disappointment after the team failed to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League.

They lost to Lille 3-2 over two legs and will therefore drop down to the Europa League instead.

Mourinho had a brutal reaction to the exit and it's emerged that one player has been made surplus to requirements.

According to Doruk Tecimer of TRT Sport, 32-year-old Joao Pedro is currently on leave after being excluded from the first-team environment.

He signed from Cagliari in 2022 but spent last season back home in Brazil with Gremio.

Though there are some reports claiming he has difficult to contact, it's understood Fenerbahce are in talks of terminating his deal.

Image: Getty

His contract runs until 2025 and the player is believed to be demanding his €3 million salary is paid.

Mourinho won his first Super Lig game 1-0 last weekend against Adana Demirspor and will be hoping to follow up with a victory against Goztepe on Saturday.

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League, Mourinho feels the Europa League is a better competition for Fenerbahce at this stage - though he isn't too big a fan of the new formats introduced.

Image: Getty

"You play eight matches, four at home, four away," Mourinho said.

"Against some opponents you only play at home, against some opponents, you only play away. It’s strange, but it is what it is. I think money makes decisions and we have to, to adapt to it.

"But as I was saying before, the Champions League would be great for the club, great for the players.

"But we would never. have a chance to, to go very, very far in the competition and the league is more adapted to our level. And I want to inject ambition in the team to do well."