‘Lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs’ — Fenerbahce player fights Mourinho with Bible verse

A war of words has erupted between Jose Mourinho and Allan Saint-Maximin after the French winger was left out of Fenerbahce’s squad for their crucial Europa League clash against Rangers.

While Saint-Maximin fired the first shot with a cryptic Bible verse, Mourinho did not hold back in his response, questioning the player’s fitness and discipline.

Saint-Maximin, who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce from Al-Ahli, did not take kindly to being excluded from the squad for the match at Ibrox.

The 28-year-old responded with a veiled message on social media, posting, "To defeat me, it will take more than this. When lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs. It takes longer, but in the end, it always arrives. If God is with us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31."

While the post did not directly mention Mourinho, the timing and wording left little doubt about its intended target.

However, the "Special One" wasted no time in hitting back. In an Instagram post, Mourinho said, "I did not know Saint-Maximin had a talent for poetry. I am not bad at it myself. When a player works hard, trains daily, and is in shape, he can take the stairs—he does not need an elevator.

"However, if a player trains poorly, arrives late, is overweight, and is not ready to play, he needs an elevator to go up. Because he gets tired too quickly on the stairs."

The indirect jab at Saint-Maximin’s fitness and commitment only escalated the feud, leaving fans to speculate on the relationship between the pair.

Despite Mourinho’s remarks, Saint-Maximin was quick to push back against the claims of poor fitness and discipline. He posted an image comparing his current weight to previous years, writing, "Lies produce flowers but not fruit."

The forward’s defiance suggests that he firmly believes his exclusion was based on something other than physical condition or professionalism.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce’s elimination from the Europa League on penalties against Rangers has only deepened tensions within the squad and it remains to be seen whether this rift between Saint-Maximin and Mourinho is resolved or continues to boil over.