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.
Although things didn’t quite go according to plan at Real Madrid, Manchester United or Tottenham, he has found himself at home as manager of Fenerbahce.
And not just with the fans.
Because Mourinho turned down Fenerbahce’s offer to find him and rent out the best house in Istanbul when he took over as gaffer in June.
Instead, he chose to set up residence at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel so that he can focus exclusively on business.
The five-star former palace sits on the shores of the Bosphorus and boasts stunning views from the European side across to the Asian side of the historic city, home to Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Incredibly, the cheapest suites at the Four Seasons start from £1,000 per night – and it’s not hard to see why.
Mourinho – who lived in Manchester’s The Lowry throughout his time as Old Trafford boss – enjoys a regular morning swim and has the choice of indoor or outdoor pools.
Beautiful gardens and lovely terraces provide guests with a welcome escape, while the pristine bedrooms give Mourinho the chance to dream of more silverware to add to his bursting trophy cabinet.
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However, his imagination has not extended 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 collection with the League Cup and Europa League during his time at Manchester United.
That triumph in Stockholm in 2017 over Ajax was actually the last trophy United won back in 2017 until Ten Hag took charge, winning 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 always has good teams, he’s a winner – he’s won so many trophies – I think he’s an example for many, many managers.”
Ten Hag has been the most successful manager alongside Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Yet he remains under pressure with United sitting below mid-table.
Ten Hag recognizes that what is happening now is important.
He said: “This 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 at the start of the season and we will see where we end up, but our goal is to win a trophy again.”
The pressure was eased on Ten Hag with a comeback victory against Brentford on Saturday, where 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund grabbed the winner in the second half.
Ten Hag said: “He always wants to score. The most important thing is that he stays fit.
“He had so many injuries in the first season and when he stays fit he will score goals because it is proven in his statistics.”
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 an experienced and league-winning player like Mourinho – so he will no doubt take 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 the visitors a hostile reception – and will undoubtedly do the same when the Red Devils visit in the Europa League.
But the Turks pride themselves on their hospitality, and the Four Seasons wants 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 the Special One will certainly bask in a royal reception.