TWO departing Fenerbache stars refused to play in the final match of the season – and had to say their goodbyes from the stadium KITCHENS.
Jose Mourinho‘s side welcomed Konyaspor on Sunday for a dead-rubber match to finish the Super Lig campaign.
GettyJose Mourinho has suffered a tough first season in Turkey[/caption]
YouTube/FenerbahceEdin Dzeko (left) and Dusan Tadic (centre) missed the final game of the season as they feared a fan backlash[/caption]
The Turkish title race has been dominated by Fenerbahce‘s crosstown rivals Galatasaray.
Mourinho’s men have been playing catch-up for most of the season and ended the campaign 11 points behind their Istanbul neighbours.
Neither Edin Dzeko and Dusan Tadic were included in Mourinho’s matchday squad for the game against Konyaspor.
Tadic, 36, has since confirmed the pair made themselves unavailable to play in the game.
The two former Prem stars were wary of fan unrest as they prepare to leave the club over the summer.
Dzeko, 39, and Tadic were due to receive commemorative plaques to honour their service to the club.
But they had to receive the gongs in the club KITCHENS – in a bid to avoid any backlash from the furious Fenerbahce fanbase.
Tadic wrote on social media: “It was a decision we made together with Dzeko not to play in the last match.
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“We didn’t want to damage Fenerbahce’s image.
“The fans have always supported us. The way we said goodbye is not a problem for me.
“I would have preferred it to be in the stadium, but the ambience is not very good at the moment.
“That’s why it’s better to be that way.”
Dzeko, who previously played for Manchester City, scored 46 goals in 99 games for Fenerbahce.
Ex-Southampton winger Tadic joined the club in 2023 and netted 29 times in 109 matches.
Fenerbahce have now won just one trophy since 2014 – a solitary Turkish Cup last season.
Mourinho spent much of the campaign warring with the Turkish FA over refereeing standards.
He was also hit with a three-match ban for pinching the nose of Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk in a bad-tempered Istanbul derby.
And The Special One was forced to deny accusations of racism after claiming Galatasaray players were “jumping like monkeys” trying to win a penalty.
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