Didier Drogba has stepped in to defend Jose Mourinho after Galatasaray accused the Fenerbahce manager of making racist remarks following their recent Istanbul derby. The former Chelsea striker, who played under Mourinho during two separate spells, took to social media to dismiss the allegations as unfounded.
The controversy stems from Mourinho’s post-match comments after a 0-0 draw, where he described the Galatasaray bench as “jumping like monkeys” and criticized the use of Turkish referees.
Galatasaray responded by threatening legal action and filing complaints with football’s governing bodies. Softfootball notes that Drogba, a legend at Galatasaray, felt compelled to address the situation given his long history with the Portuguese coach.
Drogba wrote on X:
Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for xx years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it.
He urged fans to focus on the league title race rather than off-field distractions, adding:
How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist? Come on guys.
Fenerbahce also released a statement arguing that Mourinho’s words were taken out of context. They described the accusation as “malicious” and “incompetent slander,” insisting that the comment referred to the opposing team’s overreaction to referee decisions rather than any racial sentiment. The club vowed to use its legal rights to counter what it views as an attempt to manipulate the agenda.
