Sofyan Amrabat walks into the interview room that overlooks the pitches at Fenerbahce’s Can Bartu training complex and delivers the customary Islamic greeting.
When the former Manchester United midfielder hears my response, he notices the northern accent and asks if I’m from Manchester.
The discussion goes to one of his favourite Manchester restaurants – the Etci Mehmet Steakhouse – and he reminisces how he fell in love with the city and the club in a ‘difficult’ season that finished at Wembley when he started in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. His performance led to Paul Scholes describing the Moroccan as ‘Prime Gattuso’ on Instagram.
‘Beating one of the best teams in the world, nobody will forget this day,’ Amrabat tells Mail Sport.
For Amrabat, who was on loan from Fiorentina, that was the last time he wore the United shirt.
Sofyan Amrabat played a vital role in Man United’s FA Cup triumph against Man City in May
The Moroccan midfielder was hailed as ‘Prime Gattuso’ by Paul Scholes for his performance
Amrabat will now face Man United in the Europa League with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce
He reflected on his time at Old Trafford in an exclusive interview with Mail Sport’s Aadam Patel
Erik ten Hag wanted to activate the option to buy him for £21million but the United hierarchy thought otherwise, opting to go for Manuel Ugarte from PSG for £51m instead.
‘I have a special relationship with Ten Hag since I was a 20-year-old at Utrecht,’ Amrabat says, ahead of United’s visit to Fenerbahce on Thursday.
‘He wanted to keep me this summer so I wish him the best but not for Thursday. I hope they lose,’ he adds. I ask whether he is willing to share anything else about his departure and his reply is telling. ‘The only thing that I want to say is that you have to ask Mr Wilcox.’
That’s Jason Wilcox, the new technical director at Old Trafford. Amrabat reveals that four Premier League clubs were interested in him before he decided on Fenerbahce. Fast forward a few months and the 28-year-old is thriving alongside another United outcast in Fred, under none other than Jose Mourinho.
‘He’s a fantastic player, I love playing with him’ says Amrabat, while his team-mate returns the favour by calling him ‘a big player’.
Fred, who spent five years at Old Trafford after Mourinho signed him for £52m in 2018, has found a new gear in Turkey, scoring his first career hat-trick earlier this season.
The 31-year-old tells Mail Sport how he was emotional too when United sold him to Fenerbahce for £13m last summer.
Amrabat has a special relationship with Erik ten Hag, who wanted to sign him permanently
He suggested technical director Jason Wilcox (centre) was against activating the option to buy
Erik ten Hag will be reunited with another former Man United midfielder in Fred on Thursday
‘It was tough because we had adapted to life in Manchester and my wife was pregnant,’ Fred recalls. ‘But football is like this and Fenerbahce supported me a lot.’
When the Europa League draw pitted Fenerbahce against United, Fred was straight on WhatsApp to his former team-mates.
‘I messaged Bruno (Fernandes) saying “We will kill you” and he responded that “No, we will kill you” but then my friend got a red card (against Porto) so he won’t play with us,’ Fred says, with a beaming smile. He admits there is still a tinge of sadness seeing United struggle.
‘They are not in the best moment but I support them,’ he says. ‘I’m upset when they don’t get good results or don’t play well but against us, it’s different. On Thursday, they can’t play well.’
Fenerbahce’s clash against United is the second of six games in a three-week period which Mourinho knows is crucial, given a tough start to their campaign which Fred describes as ‘a little slow’.
For the 31-year-old, winning the league this season is a non-negotiable having been part of the side that fell short last season, despite winning a record 99 points.
Fenerbahce were pipped to the title by arch-rivals Galatasaray, making it a decade without being kings of Turkey, and manager Ismail Kartal was subsequently sacked.
‘Ninety nine points and we didn’t win so of course we are upset,’ he says. ‘This season, we need to win the title for sure.’
Fred joked to Bruno Fernandes that Fenerbahce ‘will kill you’ following the Europa League draw
The Brazilian midfielder admits the Turkish giants have made a slow start to their campaign
Amrabat revealed how a phone call from Mourinho sealed his summer move to Fenerbahce
It speaks volumes of Fred’s desire to develop when at the end, he makes a point to stress how much he enjoyed speaking English again.
In Amrabat’s case, a phone call from Mourinho in the summer sealed the move.
‘When the Special One calls you and you are his No 1 target, it’s different,’ he says. ‘Fenerbahce gave me the feeling that they really wanted me. I felt the love and it was difficult to say no. I chose with my heart.’
Falling at the semi-finals in the 2022 World Cup with Morocco and losing the 2023 Europa Conference League final for Fiorentina have only served to increase the hunger for silverware for Amrabat. Winning the FA Cup felt good but he emphasises that the scale of the project in Istanbul attracted him, with Fenerbahce desperate for trophies having only won one Turkish Cup in the last 10 years.
‘Jose means success and winning trophies,’ Amrabat says. ‘I’m convinced he’ll bring this but it’s not like magic. We have to improve. With a coach like him, normally results will come and I’m confident. We have lots of quality and new personnel so it needs time. Even in six months, it may not be perfect but in football, you need time to create something special.’
So to Thursday and a chance to kickstart Fenerbahce’s season. What can United expect in the cauldron that is the Sukru Sarakcoglu Stadium?
Mourinho is seeking to lead Fenerbahce to silverware after just one Turkish Cup in a decade
Fred and Amrabat spoke to Mail Sport’s Aadam Patel ahead of the Man United game
‘The fans in Turkey have passion like they do in Brazil. They are crazy,’ warns Fred.
Amrabat agrees. ‘You have to feel it – the emotion, the energy, the atmosphere is crazy. It pushes you so much,’ he says.
The last time Fenerbahce hosted an English team, they beat a United side managed by Mourinho in 2016. For an under-pressure Ten Hag, a similar outcome may well prove decisive.