Jose Mourinho lashes out at UEFA after making winning start to life at Fenerbahce, as former Man City striker Edin Dzeko nets hat-trick in thrilling Champions League qualifier

Jose Mourinho hit out at UEFA after his Fenerbahce side were given a major scare in his first match in charge before they edged past Swiss outfit Lugano 4-3 in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier on Tuesday night.

Former Man City striker Edin Dzeko was Fenerbahce's hero as he netted a hat-trick, but Mourinho was furious with UEFA after the governing body moved the game to Thun - 135 miles from Lugano - having deemed the home team's regular stadium unsuitable for a Champions League qualifier.

It meant the match was played on a synthetic pitch, which Mourinho claimed was a 'challenge' for his side.

'We tried not to make excuses before the match, but playing quality football on a synthetic pitch is a challenge,' he said.

'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.'

Mourinho took his place in the dugout for the first time since being sacked by Roma in January, but watched his side make a nightmare start as they fell behind inside four minutes to a goal from Ayman El Wafi.

Dzeko took centre stage after that, though, scoring in the space of a minute either side to turn the tie in Fenerbahce's favour.

Lugano drew level in the 64th minute through Uran Bislimi, but Dzeko completed his hat-trick three minutes later and Ferdi Kadioglu then gave the Turkish team some breathing space.

Milton Valenzuela pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time, but Fenerbahce managed to hold on to ensure Mourinho got off to a winning start.

The return leg is due to take place next Tuesday in Turkey, with Fenerbahce holding the advantage as they look to book their place in the group stages of the Champions League.

Mourinho may have hoped for a more comfortable start at his new club, but his team got dragged into a gripping contest before they finally prevailed.

The Portuguese boss was critical of his team's defending in his post-match press conference, while he also accused Lugano of unsporting behaviour for not giving his side the ball back before their third goal after play had been stopped to allow a player to receive treatment.

'A seven-goal game is thrilling for the fans, but from a coaching perspective, conceding three goals is problematic,' Mourinho 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.'

Fenerbahce were made to work hard for their win, but came out on top and head into next week's return leg in a strong position to continue their European journey.