Jose Mourinho's bromance with Alexander Djiku in training warms Ghanaian hearts

Ghana defender Alexander Djiku appears to be striking a perfect relationship with new manager Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.

Djiku will play under Mourinho next season after Fenerbahce announced the Portuguese manager as their new head coach last month.

The 29-year-old has, therefore, joined an exclusive list of Ghanaian footballers to have worked with the former Chelsea manager, including Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari.

While Mourinho started his pre-season camp a few weeks ago, Djiku was granted an extended break after featuring in Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Alexander Djiku getting along with Jose Mourinho in Fenerbahce training

However, the Ghanaian centre-back finally joined his club teammates in pre-season two weeks ago, and he appears to be getting along well with his new manager.

In photos from a recent Fenerbahce training session that have gone viral on social, Mourinho is seen with his arms around the neck of Djiku.

The said photos have been interpreted by some Ghanaians on social media as a sign of a good bond between the defender and Mourinho.

Djiku has been a key player at Fenerbahce since joining the club in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after parting ways with Ligue 1 side Racing Strasbourg.

He made 36 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, contributing three goals and two assists.

The former Bastia rearguard is expected to play a huge role under Mourinho next season as Fenerbahce aim to wrestle back the Turkish title from rivals Galatasaray.

Meanwhile, ex-Ghana captain Stephen Appiah believes, like Essien, Alexander Djiku could also take his game to the next level by working with Mourinho.

Mourinho previously worked with Essien at Chelsea and Real Madrid and also coached with Muntari at Inter Milan, winning multiple trophies with the Ghanaian duo.