Ex-Premier League duo refuse to play for Jose Mourinho in final game for Fenerbahce

Edin Dzeko was among two outgoing stars who refused to play in the final match of the season - instead saying their goodbyes to the club from the kitchen inside the stadium.

Dzeko and , formerly of , will both say goodbye to the Turkish club but have opted against running out in the last match. They welcomed Konyaspor on Sunday for a dead-rubber match to finish their Super Lig campaign.

The title race has been dominated by Fenerbahce's rivals and 's side have had to make do with second spot. Dzeko and Tadic were wary of fan unrest as they prepare to leave the club over the summer.

The pair were due to receive commemorative plaques to honour their service to the club on the pitch, but instead they had to receive the gongs in the club kitchen at their stadium as they looked to avoid any backlash from the angry Fenerbahce fanbase.

Tadic, who has previously excelled with Ajax, has since confirmed the pair made themselves unavailable to play in the game. He said on social media: "It was a decision we made together with Dzeko not to play in the last match. We didn't want to damage Fenerbahce's image.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

"The fans have always supported us. The way we said goodbye is not a problem for me. I would have preferred it to be in the stadium, but the ambience is not very good at the moment. That's why it's better to be that way."

Fenerbahce's domestic frustration continues and, whilst being competitive, they've struggled to land silverware. Despite concern over Mourinho's future it has now been confirmed that the Special One will remain in Istanbul for the second year of his contract.

He said on Monday: "If you ask me if I'm going to be here next season, I refer to the last [Fenerbahce] president's appearance on TV a couple of weeks ago, where the president said that he wants me to stay and he is counting on me to stay for the next season.

"That is public. That's it. I think he was clear. If anything changes from that day, I was not told. I can confirm that these words were exactly the same words that I was told when we met. So that for me is a very clear situation."

Fenerbahce president Ali Koç said he wanted Mourinho to continue "for stability".

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our