Galatasaray To Pursue Criminal Action Against Jose Mourinho Over Alleged Racist Comments

Turkish football club Galatasaray has announced plans to initiate criminal proceedings against Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho, accusing him of making racist remarks following their 0-0 draw in the Super Lig on Monday, February 24.

The controversy stems from Mourinho’s post-match comments, in which he criticised the reaction of Galatasaray’s bench, stating they were “jumping like monkeys” during an early incident in the game. His remarks have sparked outrage, with Galatasaray labelling them “beyond immoral” and “inhumane rhetoric.”

In a statement on X, Galatasaray accused Mourinho of repeatedly making “derogatory statements” about Turkish football since joining the league. The club declared its intention to pursue legal action, including complaints to UEFA and FIFA.

“We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho,” the club stated.

Monday’s match was officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, following requests from both clubs for a foreign referee. Mourinho, who has previously been fined and suspended for comments about Turkish referees, was again critical in his post-match press conference.

“I went to the referees’ dressing room after the game,” Mourinho said. “I thanked Vincic for coming because this was a big match. And I turned to the fourth official, who was a Turkish referee, and told him, ‘If you were the referee, this match would have been a disaster.’”

He also criticised the reaction of Galatasaray’s bench, suggesting that a Turkish referee would have unfairly booked his player based on their animated protests.

“With a Turkish referee, after the big dive in the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys on the top of the kid, my player would have received a yellow card immediately, and I would have had to substitute him after five minutes,” Mourinho remarked.

Mourinho and Fenerbahce have yet to officially respond to the allegations. However, with Galatasaray pushing for UEFA and FIFA intervention, the Portuguese manager could face further disciplinary action.

The fallout from Mourinho’s remarks is likely to escalate tensions in Turkish football, with legal and regulatory bodies expected to weigh in on the matter in the coming days.