Jose Mourinho faces Champions League blow after first-leg loss to ex-Man United star

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Jose Mourinho and Robin van Persie faced off in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Van Persie getting the better of his old boss.

Manchester United’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur means Ruben Amorim’s side will miss out on European competition this season.

The goal is still to get back into the Champions League, but it’s hard to say how long that might take.

Meanwhile, Champions League qualifiers are already underway, with Nice – now owned by Ineos – losing 2-0 to Benfica.

One match featured two ex-United men going head-to-head as Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord hosted Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce edging closer to Champions League exit after defeat to Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord

Van Persie secured a crucial win against Mourinho, nearing Champions League group stage qualification, which would mean a significant early career milestone for Feyenoord’s coach.

Quinten Timber’s shot, deflected by Mert Muldur, gave the home side a first-half lead. Sofyan Amrabat equalized late for Fenerbahce against his former club. Amrabat did not celebrate out of respect for Feyenoord, but the match still had one final twist.

In stoppage time, Anis Hadj-Moussa rose highest to head home the winner for Van Persie’s side.

Feyenoord will now take a 2-1 lead into the second leg in Türkiye, leaving the former Man United striker within reach of knocking Mourinho out of Europe’s top competition.

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Jose Mourinho feeling the heat this season

Fenerbahce came agonisingly close to the Super Lig title in the 2023-24 season, losing just once in 38 matches, but still finishing three points behind Galatasaray.

After that, Mourinho was brought in to replace Ismail Kartal, despite Kartal’s side falling just short of the top spot.

The Portuguese coach’s arrival did not have the expected impact, as Fenerbahçe once again finished second in the Super Lig, this time 11 points behind Galatasaray. They also went through the entire league campaign without a single win over their rivals, Galatasaray and Besiktas.

This summer, Mourinho has been backed again. The club brought in Nelson Semedo, Milan Skriniar and Archie Brown, and added striker Jhon Duran on loan – a player who had previously been linked with United.

Fenerbahce need to close that gap to Galatasaray this season, but crashing out of the Champions League before the league phase would only serve to put more pressure on Mourinho to pick up results.