Istanbul (Turkey), Aug 13: Jose Mourinho is now one round away from taking Fenerbahce back into the Champions League for the first time in 17 years.
The storied coach’s team surged into the Champions League qualifying playoffs by overturning a two-goal deficit on aggregate Tuesday with a 5-2 win against Feyenoord coached by Robin van Persie.
Fenerbahce advanced 6-4 on aggregate score and next faces Benfica – where Mourinho got his first head coach job 25 years ago – with a place in the 36-team league phase at stake.
The first leg is in Istanbul on Wednesday next week with the return on Aug. 27 at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon where future two-time Champions League winner Mourinho lasted less than three months in 2000.
Benfica advanced Tuesday after beating Nice 2-0 at home after winning the first leg by the same score in France last week.
Fenerbahce last played in the old group stage of the Champions League in the 2008-09 season and its biggest rival, Galatasaray, already is in the Aug. 28 main draw as the Turkish league champion.
Fenerbahce had lost 2-1 in the Netherlands last week. (AP)
