Didier Drogba, the former Chelsea and Galatasaray forward, has commented on the current discord in Turkish soccer involving his former manager, Jose Mourinho. On Wednesday, Drogba expressed his belief that Mourinho is not racist, citing historical evidence to back this claim. Mourinho, who now manages the Turkish club Fenerbahce, is facing accusations from Galatasaray regarding alleged racist remarks he made following a match between the two clubs that ended in a 0-0 draw. The match was officiated by a referee from Slovenia.
During a press conference, Mourinho noted that a Turkish referee might have issued a yellow card for an early on-field challenge, following what he perceived to be theatrics from the Galatasaray bench. His comments were criticized by Galatasaray, who accused him of racism and announced plans to initiate criminal proceedings and lodge complaints with international soccer administrations.
In response to those accusations, Fenerbahce declared that Mourinho’s statements were taken out of context and manipulated. The club announced its intention to pursue legal action in defense of Mourinho against what it considers a baseless accusation.
Drogba took to a social media platform to affirm his support for Mourinho, with whom he shares a long history from their time together at Chelsea. “I’ve known Jose for 25 years, and he is not a racist,” Drogba, who is Black, stated. “Let’s channel our energy into supporting our teams and strive to win the league.” He further added a personal note, questioning how his affectionate mentor could be perceived as a racist.
The Turkish soccer federation is expected to issue a statement regarding this matter in the forthcoming days.
