Jose Mourinho hit out at UEFA after Fenerbahce narrowly avoided an embarrassing Champions League defeat.
The Turkish side scraped through against Swiss side Lugano, winning 4-3 in the seven goal thriller.
2
It included a 21-minute hat-trick from Edin Dzeko either side of half-time.
The Champions League qualifier was Mourinho’s first game as Fenerbahce manager and it nearly got off to a disastrous start.
The 61-year-old went on to rage about the synthetic pitch at the Stockhorn Area after the match.
He said: “We tried not to make excuses before the match, but playing quality football on a synthetic pitch is a challenge.
Read more on Jose Mourinho
“The ball doesn’t move as it should, players struggle to dribble, and the game's pace slows significantly.
“I can’t fathom why UEFA permits Champions League matches on synthetic surfaces.
“It’s also perplexing why a good team like Lugano would choose to play on such a pitch. It wasn’t ideal for the game."
Dzeko’s performance was a standout for Fenerbahce, but Mourinho was far from happy with the three goals his team conceded.
2
“A seven-goal game is thrilling for the fans, but from a coaching perspective, conceding three goals is problematic," he said.
"I didn't like conceding a goal from a set piece, the second goal was an easy shot and the third was not fair play, they should have given us the ball and they didn't."
Most read in Champions League
The second leg will be back in Turkey on July 30 and the winner will go on to face Lille in the third qualifying round.