Jose Mourinho has accepted his Fenerbahce side were second best in their 3-1 Europa League last-16 first leg defeat to Rangers - but warned the tie isn’t over yet.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss slammed his team’s below-par performance in Istanbul, bizarrely suggesting they were fortunate to find themselves trailing by only two goals ahead of next week’s visit to Ibrox for the return leg.
“We were very bad everywhere,” Mourinho declared on TNT Sports. “I don't think it's fair to say we were bad defensively because we were very bad everywhere. Maybe you laugh, but for me it was a good result because of the way we performed, the result could have been bigger than this one.
“There is, I think, a penalty but to speak about referees after this performance I don't think is ethical. Our performance was bad overall. We lost a lot of duels, our passing was not fast. To speak about Fred (who was suspended tonight) is something that I don't like but he was playing fantastic and the team was playing fantastic with him there.
“Defensively we made incredible, incredible mistakes. They defend a lot with a very low block and then dangerous counters and we had no pace to follow that. So for me, I have to say that we deserved a punishment of this result. If someone wants to ask me if it's over, no, I don't think it's over.”
A bullish Mourinho confessed the tie is still alive as he urged the Rangers squad to avoid “celebrating too much” after their clinical first-leg win.
He continued: “I'm not surprised (about Rangers' performance), if you listen to what I said yesterday I couldn't be more respectful. The previous coach (Philippe Clement) was more about philosophy and I knew Ferguson would be much more pragmatic. He brought five defenders, three midfielders, and two guys in attack on the counter.
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“He defended as much as they could and basically well; when they defended bad Butland made fantastic saves and on the counter attack they were dangerous. They were pragmatic, they were defensive, and they played on the counter. Every time Jack Butland had the ball he didn't take the famous six or eight seconds he took thirty seconds every time he had the ball in his hands.
“They had 20 injuries, they were pragmatic as I was expecting and they deserved the victory. The only thing I tell this is don't celebrate too much, because there is a second match to play, that's my only advice. If they celebrate after the second match I will congratulate them but now calm down because it's not over."