Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho is out for four matches after the Turkish Football Federation punished him for statements made following Monday’s goalless draw with rivals Galatasaray. The total fines add up to £35,194.
Galatasaray accused Mourinho of making racist remarks after the Istanbul derby. Fenerbahce pushed back quickly, releasing a statement that his words were taken completely out of context.
Softfootball gathered that the tension centered on the officiating crew. While Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic handled the match, the fourth official was Turkish.
Mourinho used his post-match press conference to criticize local standards. He admitted visiting the referee’s dressing room to tell the fourth official that
if you were a referee, this match would be a disaster.
The TFF confirmed sanctions for two separate breaches. The first covers “derogatory and offensive statements” toward Turkish referees, resulting in a two-match dugout ban and a £2,543 fine. The second penalty addresses an act against sportsmanship for comments about Galatasaray players jumping like monkeys.
This carries another two-match ban and a £32,651 fine. The federation stated these remarks violated fair play ethics and risked inciting fan incidents.
