Jose Mourinho remains defiant ahead of Fenerbahce’s Europa League showdown at Ibrox, insisting his side are superior to Rangers despite trailing 2-0 from the first leg.

The Portuguese manager, never one to lack confidence, believes Barry Ferguson’s men capitalised on his team’s errors in Istanbul rather than outplaying them.

“They weren’t better than us,” Mourinho asserted. “They won because we made mistakes. They were disciplined, they fought, and they took their chances – but that doesn’t mean they are the better team.”

Rangers executed a clinical counter-attacking gameplan, sitting deep and striking when opportunities arose, a strategy Mourinho acknowledged but dismissed as evidence of superiority.

Despite history being against him – he has never overturned a two-goal home deficit in nearly 200 European matches – Mourinho is adamant Fenerbahce still have a real shot at progressing.

“If I didn’t believe we could do it, I wouldn’t even be thinking about this game,” he said. “I’d be focusing on Sunday’s league match instead. But we have a chance – and as long as we do, we go for it.”

With Fenerbahce chasing Galatasaray at the top of the Turkish Super Lig, Mourinho could have prioritised domestic matters. Instead, he is throwing everything at Ibrox.

Fond Memories of Glasgow – and a Secret Old Firm Experience

Mourinho has been to Ibrox before, most notably with Chelsea for a friendly in 2007. But his fondest memory of the famous stadium comes from a much more low-key visit.

“If you ask me the result of that Chelsea game, I couldn’t tell you,” he admitted. “It was just a friendly. But my best Ibrox memory? You don’t know about it. I was hidden in the crowd, watching Rangers vs Celtic.

“It was a couple of weeks before my Porto side faced Celtic in the 2003 UEFA Cup final. Nobody knew me at the time, so I could just walk out with the fans – good times.”

Fenerbahce were unbeaten in 18 matches across all competitions before their first-leg defeat to Rangers, but Mourinho is hoping his team can feed off the atmosphere at Ibrox rather than be intimidated by it.

“They have to embrace it,” he said. “Even if the crowd is against us, this is the best place to play football. The UK is special. Let’s enjoy it – and let’s go for it.”