Edson Alvarez acknowledged that Jose Mourinho was decisive in accepting Fenerbahce's proposal, despite the fact that the Portuguese coach left the position shortly after the transfer was completed. The Mexican midfielder said his decision to move to Turkey was directly influenced by the contact he had with the coach before signing his contract.

In an interview with Miroslava Montemayor, Alvarez explained that Mourinho's departure didn't take him entirely by surprise, as he had already considered that scenario.

“It's not a secret because a large part of my decision was due to him. I had a lot of contact with him before leaving and he was a key player. I considered all the possible scenarios; I knew the risks involved. I even had talks with the sporting director and I knew that possibility existed,” he stated.

The former West Ham player admitted that the news was difficult to process, although he quickly sought to focus on the present. “When they give you the news, it's not pleasant at all, but I'm not going to just sit there and cry,” he said.

Sporting Project and Expectations

Alvarez emphasized that, beyond the impact of Mourinho's departure, he was convinced by Fenerbahce's project due to the quality of the reinforcements and the club's ambition. “We have a very competitive team, and yes, I got there because of the coach, but also because of the board, who wanted me. It's a very ambitious project, it's a huge team, and now that I'm there, I see how big it is. I feel like I'm at America,” he said.

The midfielder also explained that leaving the Premier League was not an easy decision, but he took it as a necessary step in his career. “For me, it was a very difficult decision, knowing that I was leaving the Premier League. In the end, I made it for myself, because it's my career, it's my story,” he said.