Galatasaray announce criminal proceedings against Mourinho accusing him of making derogatory and racist statements.
Galatasaray have accused José Mourinho of making “racist statements” and said they would initiate criminal proceedings against the Fenerbahce manager.
Galatasaray’s specific remarks were unclear, but Mourinho said that the home team’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the game would have been a complete bust if a Turkish official had officiated. Slavko Vincic of Slovenia officiated Monday’s match after both clubs asked a foreign official to oversee the match.
Galatasaray stated on X that Mourinho has “persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since taking up his job in the league. The club claimed that his speech today had gone beyond simply being immoral to being categorically cruel.
“We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by José Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to Uefa and Fifa.”
When Reuters reached out to Mourinho and Fenerbahce for comment outside of Turkey’s regular business hours, they did not immediately reply.
Mourinho’s remarks on Turkish match referees have previously resulted in a fine and suspension. In a post-match press conference, the Portuguese criticised the Turkish referees once more.
“I went to the referees’ dressing room after the game,” he said. “Of course, the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee. I told him [Vincic]: ‘Thank you to come here because you come for a big match and you are responsible for a big match.’
“And I turned myself to the fourth official and I [said]: ‘This match, if you are the referee, this match would be a disaster.’ And when I say him, I say the general tendency.”
Mourinho also applauded Vincic for not handing a yellow card to the defender Yusuf Akcicek early in the match despite the enthusiastic reaction of the Galatsarary bench following a challenge.
“I have also to thank the referee because with a Turkish referee after the big dive in the first minute, their bench jumping like monkeys on the top of the kid, with a Turkish referee you would have a yellow card after one minute and after five minutes I would have to change him,” he said.