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Jose is already up to his old tricks.

We’re delighted to announce that Jose Mourinho is already causing chaos in Turkey

Michael Lee •

Market analysts across Europe were baffled to see a spike in the sale of popcorn across the continent in early June.

The trend had nothing to do with the upcoming European Championship and the snack is otherwise associated with the cinema – which isn’t an activity traditionally reserved for the warmer months in these parts.

No, this baffling (and entirely-made up) tremor was solely down to Jose Mourinho being appointed as the new coach of Fenerbahce, a marriage made in sh*thouse heaven.

Mourinho is still one of the best managers in football history but latter iterations of the Portuguese tend to be accompanied with a scowl,  the Machiavellian charm of the 2000s becoming increasingly tired in a more emotionally-enlightened era.

Accordingly, Mourinho has slipped further and further from the epicentre of European football.

A spiral that began when he left Chelsea in 2015, has taken in post-Ferguson Manchester United, perennial nearlymen Tottenham, Europa League staples Roma and now Fenerbahce.

The Turkish giants will need to win three play-off rounds just to reach the Champions League group stages and are 2-1 behind to Lille in the second of those.

But Mourinho has already made himself at home in Europe’s most crackers league, picking up a yellow card 15 minutes into his Super Lig debut against Adana Demirspor.

Gesticulating towards the officials with his trademark faux-innocuousness, the Fenerbahce boss was booked for debating a minor decision with the zeal of recent convert to veganism telling you why your cheese sandwich is killing the planet.

Mourinho had claimed he had ‘mellowed with age’ before the start of this season. His definition of the phrase seems more in line with a death metal concert than Bob Marley in a suburban garden.

At least Fenerbahce won the game 2-1, momentarily easing their coach’s blood pressure.

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There’s no denying the excitement Mourinho has bought to the Super Lig. Thousands attended the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul at the start of June to watch his signing ceremony, which took place on a huge stage built on the field in a monument to understatement.

“Normally a coach is loved after victories,” said the two-time Champions League winner. “In this case I feel that I am loved before the victories.

“That is a big responsibility that I feel. I promise you from this moment, I belong to your family. This shirt is my skin.”

The 61-year-old replaced Ismail Kartal, who left Fenerbahce after they finished second in the league to city rivals Galatasaray, despite losing just one game and recording 99 points last term.

And Mourinho’s fiery start to life in Europe’s most unhinged league suggests the 61-year-old has lost none of his inner fire or determination.

The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

He has won 21 major honours across a 24-year managerial career that began at Benfica and included spells at Porto, Inter Milan and Tottenham (the latter being the only club where Mourinho failed to find success).

In an attempt to win Fener’s first league title since 2014, the boss has bought Cenk Tosun, Caglar Soyuncu and Allan Saint-Maximin to accompany Edin Dzeko, Fred and Dusan Tadic in a streets won’t forget XI.

He’s only just getting started. Perhaps we’ll all be needing popcorn after all.

By Michael Lee

Jose Mourinho Turkish Super Lig