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Allan Saint-Maximin has taken to social media to cryptically hit back at Jose Mourinho after being branded ‘lazy’ and ‘overweight’ by the Fenerbahce boss.
Saint-Maximin and Mourinho have been taking swipes at one another following the Frenchman’s failed January move to Napoli and subsequent lack of matches. The 28-year-old winger has played just 122 minutes of football across four matches so far in 2025 and was left out of Fenerbahce’s travelling squad for the Europa League match at Rangers on Thursday evening.
It was following a pre-season friendly at Ibrox where Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe confirmed Saint-Maximin would be leaving the club to join Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli in July 2023. After a season in Saudi Arabia, Saint-Maximin joined Fenerbahce on loan.
Despite getting off to a strong start in Turkey under Mourinho with a goal and three assists in his first five appearances, Saint-Maximin has since struggled and looked for a move away from the Istanbul club during the winter window.
Saint-Maximin’s omission from the Fenerbahce squad this week has prompted a number of cryptic social media outbursts from the winger.
“It will take more than that to bring me down,” he wrote on Instagram. “When lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs; it takes longer but it always arrives in the end.”
When asked about Saint-Maximin’s comments, Mourinho did not hold back in his pre-match press conference - suggesting the player is ‘overweight’.
Mourinho said via TRT Spor: "I didn't know Saint-Maximin had a gift for poetry. I'm not bad at it either. When a footballer works well, works hard and trains every day, he can be in good form and climb up the stairs.
"He doesn't need to use the lift. By contrast, if a player doesn't train well, turns up late, is overweight and isn't ready to play a match, then he needs to use the lift - as he'll soon get tired on the stairs."
In a thinly veiled response to Mourinho’s comments, Saint-Maximin returned to social media to post a first-person view of himself on some scales, with the weight reading ‘82.4kg’.
He accompanied the image with the caption: “Keep working and [zipped mouth emoji]. Good luck guys very important game, all the best.”
Allan Saint-Maximin remains a Newcastle United favourite
Two seasons on from Saint-Maximin’s £22million move to Al Ahli, he remains a favourite back on Tyneside. Although his career hasn’t progressed as he would have liked since leaving Newcastle, he may find himself looking for a new club once again this summer when his loan at Fenerbahce comes to an end.
Saint-Maximin celebrated his 28th birthday this week with Newcastle’s official social media accounts wishing him a happy birthday.
The winger replied to one message wishing him happy birthday by stating: “Black & white 4ever.”
Saint-Maximin started the Carabao Cup final for Newcastle in 2023 and almost scored in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Now Newcastle return to Wembley on Sunday for another Carabao Cup final as they look to go one better than last time against holders Liverpool.
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