José Morais chasing Amorim’s Sporting record in Türkiye ahead of reunion with great friend Mourinho | OneFootball

José Mourinho has inevitably brought more of the world’s attention to Turkish football, as he navigates his first season in charge of Istanbul giants Fenerbahce. Yet there is another Portuguese – and a close friend of Mourinho’s – who is currently having perhaps the more remarkable impact on the Super Lig.

José Morais took charge of struggling Bodrumspor, who were in the relegation zone, in early February, since when the well-travelled Portuguese has overseen an incredible turnaround. Most remarkably, Bodrumspor have yet to concede a goal across his seven matches in charge.

Having left Iranian club Sephan last November, Morais was exploring a possible return to football in his homeland when the call from Türkiye came earlier this year. “The club is not in an easy situation and normally I wouldn't come for something like this,” Morais explained at the time. “But I have a great friendship with the president [Fikret Öztürk], with whom I had already worked at Antalyaspor. It was difficult for me to say no, at a time when he needed me.”

Morais, who started off coaching Benfica’s youth teams, brought a wealth of experience to the role at Bodrumspor. In addition to stints as Mourinho’s assistant at some of the world’s biggest clubs, such as Internazionale, Real Madrid and Chelsea, the 59-year-old has spent many years as a head coach across the world. Morais has led teams in Germany, Sweden, Jordan, Yemen, Tunisia, Türkiye, Greece, England, Ukraine, South Korea and Iran.

Among his greatest successes are back-to-back K1 league titles and a Korean FA Cup with South Koreans Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, as well as lifting the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 with African continental giants Espérance Tunis. Morais also won the Iranian Cup with Sephan, as well as the Saudi Super Cup (Al-Shabab) and clinching the Saudi championship with four matches in charge of Al Hilal at the end of the campaign in 2020-21.

“It has a special meaning”

Yet few could have predicted such an impact in Bodrum. Upon his arrival, the team had kept two clean sheets from their previous ten matches and were looking favourites for relegation, given they were seven points adrift of safety. With four wins and two draws from his six Super Lig matches in charge, Bodrumspor are now three points clear of the drop zone.

“It has a very special meaning,” he said this week following a 2-0 win at Rizespor which lifted the team clear of the relegation places.  “I have always believed that a coach has to be more than a strategist. He has to be a leader capable of transforming mentalities and creating a winning culture.

“Seeing Bodrumspor competing like this after being practically condemned to relegation reinforces my conviction that a job well done can overcome great challenges. It is a source of pride to see the players growing, believing and fighting on the pitch with the confidence that it is possible to win.

“It’s extremely positive. The main aim was to create an identity that would bring defensive balance and offensive effectiveness. Time was short and we had to be objective. The players responded well to the work and we managed to achieve important victories that allowed us to completely change the scenario.

“The first step was to work on the group’s mentality. It was essential that the players believed in their individual ability and in the collective potential of the team. The key was to create a clear game model, in which the players trusted and executed with discipline.”

A defensive record only matched by Amorim’s Sporting

Under Morais, Bodrumspor have gone six matches and 540 league minutes without conceding. Across Europe’s top 10 leagues, only Rúben Amorim’s Sporting have surpassed those numbers, reaching seven clean sheets in succession earlier this season. Juventus, Freiburg and Augsburg have equalled the feat of six straight clean sheets, while Bayern, Atlético Madrid, Inter and Real Madrid failed to go beyond five.

Morais’ coaching staff in Bodrum consists of some familiar names. Ex-Seleção men Dimas (44 caps) and Hugo Almeida (57) are on the technical team, while Paulo Santos, who earned one cap for Portugal in 2005, is the goalkeeping coach.

Mourinho, who describes Morais as one of his closest friends, was quick to attend a Bodrumspor match, taking in their trip to Istanbul Basaksehir shortly after Morais was announced. Morais’ side won the match 1-0, setting the template for what would be a formidable run of results.

Bodrumspor are also still in the Turkish Cup, booking their place in the quarter finals when Morais guided them to another win – and another clean sheet – by beating Sivasspor 1-0 away. They will head to Trabzonspor in the last eight, while Mourinho’s Fenerbahce meet arch rivals Galatasaray.

And next up for Bodrumspor after the international break, where they could match Sporting's record: a home match with Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.