JOSE MOURINHO is used to being treated like a king – after all, he is the Special One.
He was adored by his passionate supporters at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Roma.
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While things did not go quite according to plan at Real Madrid, Manchester United or Tottenham, he has found himself at home as the manager of Fenerbahce.
And not just with the fans.
Because Mourinho declined Fenerbahce’s offer to find him and rent out the best house in Istanbul when he took over as gaffer in June.
Instead, he opted to set up residence at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel so he can focus solely on business.
The five-star former palace sits on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait and boasts stunning views from the European side over to the Asian side of the historic city, where Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium home is located.
Incredibly, the cheapest suites at the Four Seasons start from £1,000 per night – and it is not hard to see why.
Mourinho – who lived at Manchester’s The Lowry throughout his stint as Old Trafford boss – enjoys a regular morning swim and has the choice of indoor or outdoor pools.
Beautiful gardens and delightful terraces provide a welcome escape for guests, while the pristine bedrooms offer Mourinho the chance to dream of more silverware to add to his bursting trophy cabinet.
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His imagination, though, has not stretched to the dining room despite the exceptional Turkish food on offer.
The Portuguese icon – who can only cook scrambled eggs – keeps things very simple and reportedly orders the same three-course meal every night: chicken soup, margherita pizza and ice cream washed down with sparkling water.
Ten Hag: Mourinho is the example
By NEIL CUSTIS
ERIK TEN HAG has hailed Jose Mourinho as an example for managers as he prepares to face him in Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday.
Mourinho, now manager of Fenerbahce, added to his already impressive trophy haul with the League Cup and Europe League in his time at Manchester United.
Indeed that triumph in Stockholm in 2017 over Ajax was the last trophy United won back in 2017 until Ten Hag took charge and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last two seasons.
Now the pair clash in Istanbul and United boss Ten Hag was full of praise for one of his predecessors at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag said: “It’s a big game for both of us.
“I really enjoy facing him and playing against him. He has always good teams, he is a winner – he has won so many trophies – I think he is an example for many, many managers.”
Ten Hag has been the most successful manager alongside Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Still, he remains under pressure with United sitting below mid-table.
Ten Hag acknowledges that what happens now is all important.
He said: “It is football, you have to live for now.
“What happened is in the past, you have to prove yourself every day, you have to prove yourself every season so we have to go for it.
“We are in the start of the season and we will see where we end but our target is to win a trophy again.”
The pressure was eased on Ten Hag with a comeback victory against Brentford on Saturday with 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund grabbing the second-half winner.
Ten Hag said: “He will always score. What is important is he is keeping fit.
“He picked up so many injuries in the first season and when he stays fit, he will score goals because that is proved in his stats.”
He has been known to visit a local kebab shop but tends to stick to his simple routine at the hotel.
Football management is no walk in the park – even for a seasoned and serial winner like Mourinho – so he no doubt takes full advantage of the extra special spa treatments and facilities on offer, including the traditional Turkish Hammam baths.
Mourinho and Fenerbahce may be used to giving visitors a hostile reception – and will no doubt do the same when the Red Devils visit in the Europa League.
But the Turkish pride themselves on their hospitality and the Four Seasons want guests to “be part of the family”.
Art historian Serdar Gulgun says: “In our culture, the guest is the king so we receive them royally.”
And a royal reception the Special One is certainly basking in.
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