ISTANBUL — Galatasaray is preparing to initiate legal proceedings against coach Jose Mourinho while also lodging complaints with international soccer governing bodies. The club accused the Fenerbahce coach of making racially insensitive remarks following a recent match in the Turkish league.
Following a goalless draw between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce on Monday, the league leaders released a statement declaring their intentions against Mourinho. The 62-year-old Portuguese coach, who relocated to Turkey from Roma after working with renowned clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan, faced earlier sanctions this season for criticizing local officials and the league.
Mourinho’s post-match remarks about Turkish referees and the Galatasaray coaching staff have set off another wave of backlash. Galatasaray’s statement emphasized that Mourinho “has consistently issued demeaning comments towards the Turkish populace.” The club proclaimed its determination to proceed with criminal action in response to what it described as “racist statements,” and they plan to report the issue to UEFA and FIFA.
In the wake of the match, Mourinho expressed appreciation for the decision to appoint a foreign referee and commended Slovene referee Slavko Vincic for his excellent officiating. He recounted meeting the referee post-game to express gratitude. However, upon encountering the fourth official, who was Turkish, Mourinho remarked, “If you are the referee … it would be a disaster.”
When questioned about an early-game altercation, Mourinho suggested that a Turkish referee would likely have issued a yellow card due to exaggerated acting and fervent protests from the opposing bench, which he compared to “monkeys.”
Previously in November, Mourinho was suspended for a match and received a fine following his outspoken critique of Turkish soccer, wherein he claimed he was contending against “the system” and alleged a referee bias against his team. Despite these controversies, Mourinho has guided Fenerbahce to a Europa League round-of-16 matchup against Rangers scheduled for next month.
