Leon Balogun’s Admiration for José Mourinho
Leon Balogun, who has made 46 appearances for the Nigeria national team, expressed his admiration for José Mourinho, the manager of Fenerbahçe, whom he will face in the UEFA Europa League.
The experienced center-back stated that Rangers need to significantly raise their performance if they are to overcome Fenerbahçe, who have remained unbeaten in their last 18 matches.
Rangers’ Struggles and Hope for Redemption
Rangers have gone through a challenging period since the dismissal of their manager Philippe Clement last week.
Currently, they are 16 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, and outside of Europe, they do not have a strong foothold. In their most recent league match, Rangers suffered a 2-1 loss to Motherwell.
However, Balogun hopes that the upcoming first leg in Istanbul will be a stepping stone to recovery.
Balogun Reflects on His Encounter with Mourinho
Balogun has previously faced José Mourinho. While playing for Brighton in 2018, Balogun’s team defeated Mourinho’s Manchester United 3-2. Reflecting on that encounter, Balogun said:
“I think I’ve only played against Mourinho once. That was my first time in the Premier League, and we beat him (Manchester United) 3-2 at home to Brighton. That was a great memory.”
Mourinho’s Character and Influence
“He’s a very, very big character. He’s a very big manager in the world of football, and you have to have a lot of respect for Mourinho. I personally enjoy Mourinho’s press conferences because I think a lot of people call him arrogant.”
“Maybe, but I think he’s a very special character. And I think you need a few characters that are not too generic to make football fun. It also gives you (the media) something to write about.”
Balogun’s Confidence in Rangers’ Chances
Balogun believes the match against Fenerbahçe will be tough but remains confident that Rangers can progress:
“Fenerbahçe away is a big opportunity for us. After what happened at home, playing the first game away and getting the fans back on our side could be beneficial. However, we still need to take at least two big steps from today to get a good result in Istanbul.”