Classic Jose Mourinho mind games at Ibrox as Rangers put 125 years of history at stake against Fenerbahce

When Jose Mourinho began making his name in the football firmament having earned his coaching badges in Ayrshire it was said to be yet another example of the benefit of a good Scottish education.

Such sentiments might or might not still apply today – the standard of Scottish schools is a debate for another day. Still, it’s not the authorities’ fault if pupils are playing truant for a chance to see Jose Mourinho arrive at Ibrox.

The Fenerbahce manager’s press conference was not scheduled until after 5pm. Nevertheless, there was plenty of activity and excitement in front of the red-bricked façade of the Bill Struth main stand from early afternoon. Crowd barriers had been erected outside the main entrance in preparation for the Turkish side's arrival. And while they boast many exceptional footballers, including former Manchester United star Fred, these railings were not designed to deal with anyone fussing over them.

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho arrives at Ibrox Stadium for a pre-match press conference ahead of facing Rangers in the Europa League last 16 second leg. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The attention was fixed on Mourinho, which was in marked contrast to his first visit to the stadium in the countdown to the Uefa Cup final in 2003, when his Porto side were due to face Celtic. He was in town to run the rule over the Parkhead side.

Just four days after Celtic had sealed their place in the final in Seville with a 1-0 win against Boavista, Mourinho was on the plane to Glasgow for an Old Firm game at Ibrox. He didn’t get where he is by dithering.

“Nobody knew me at that time. I could come, I could walk. At the end of the game, I walked through the crowd. Good times for me,” he smiled.

The visitors won 2-1 that afternoon through goals from John Hartson and Alan Thompson, from the penalty spot. Such a margin of victory won’t be enough for Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on Thursday.

His side are attempting to overcome a 3-1 first leg deficit against Rangers to reach the last eight of the Europa League. Mourinho cannot recall being in this position before. “I have almost 200 matches in Europe, but honestly? I do not remember losing at home by two," he said. "So I have never had the experience of going into the second leg like this. But I’ve won at home by two and lost by three away. I was the underdog and won. I was the favourite and I lost. Everything has happened to me.”

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho (right) during a training session at Ibrox Stadium. | PA

Once dark-haired and smouldering, he is now grey-haired and seemingly in the latter stages of growing a beard. He has been there and done that and is returning to Ibrox, a stadium he referred to as “iconic”, for the first time as a manager since a friendly with Chelsea in 2007.

The arch competitor says he can’t recall the result of such an inconsequential game, although maybe that’s because his team lost 2-0 – the much-maligned Filip Sebo struck one of Rangers' goals.

The much-maligned Cyriel Dessers is a current threat for Mourinho, who described the striker as playing “like he was one of the best players in the world” last week in Istanbul. The Nigerian international forward received another name check here. “Dessers...Cerny, these fast people,” said Mourinho, while pondering whether Rangers might opt to play on the counter attack once more.

As well as a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, there is also more than 125 years of history at stake. Rangers have never lost four home games in a row. Not at the current Ibrox, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in December, and not at the last Ibrox, where they played from 1887-99.

Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers celebrates scoring the opener in the 3-1 victory over Fenerbahce in Turkey last week. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Memo to Rangers, who should know this already: When Mourinho is in town, special things do tend to happen.

It is 20 years this week since the Portuguese, with a certain Steve Clarke by his side, inspired a Chelsea comeback victory over Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in the Nou Camp, the London side won the second leg 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in a tie also recalled for spelling the end of the refereeing career of Anders Frisk, who announced his immediate retirement after objecting to some vehement criticism from Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager’s subsequent Uefa ban also led to another memorable moment in the Mourinho files, when he snuck into Stamford Bridge inside a laundry basket before giving the pre-match talk in the following round against Bayern Munich.

Such a ruse was not required here. It’s Philippe Clement, the manager he outlasted since the tie was drawn last month, who might have done with such an item to get in and out of Ibrox towards the end of his reign. Mourinho tends to have the last laugh. He was now at Ibrox and where was Clement, who recently said some unflattering things about Mourinho’s style of football? Well, he wasn’t in Govan that’s for sure.

Mourinho had seen him off the premises. Although he seems much more well-disposed to his inexperienced opposite man as opposed to Clement, whose name he said he couldn’t remember last week, he will still want to administer a sore one on Ferguson. Mourinho was unable to resist some mindgames.

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho walks past a picture of former Rangers manager Walter Smith ahead of a press conference at the Ibrox Stadium. | PA

“I don't know if Ibrox, as a very iconic British stadium like many in Scotland and England, I don't know if they will accept a very defensive performance like they had in Fenerbahce,” he said, with reference to the home fans. “That was successful for them, but a very defensive performance.”

It was classic Mourinho. He strode into the media room at Ibrox with purpose and while he didn’t quite genuflect in front of the framed photo of Walter Smith that was hanging on the wall behind him, he carried on from where he left off last week by being respectful to Rangers, Scotland and Scottish football. He even mentioned his “many Scottish friends”.

The old charmer was in such good form once more that it was hard to believe he was ever cast as an "enemy of football" by Uefa. Now he must disarm Ibrox on a European night under the lights. As anyone who has been following football since the early 2000s knows, it isn't beyond him.