After the Istanbul city derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, José Mourinho is in the spotlight - again. Now the Fener coach is launching a counter-attack.
01.03.2025, 13:30
dpa
The dispute between José Mourinho and Galatasaray after the Istanbul derby shows no sign of ending. Fenerbahçe's star coach announced via the portal X that he would sue his arch-rivals for attacking his personal rights. Mourinho had previously been banned for four games by the Turkish Football Association because, according to the association, he had made derogatory comments in the derby on Monday (0:0).
It is a matter of "moral damages", according to the statement published by Fenerbahçe. Mourinho is demanding 1.907 million Turkish lira, the equivalent of around 50,000 euros. The amount is likely to be mainly symbolic and alludes to Fenerbahçe's founding year of 1907.
Association punishes Mourinho for derogatory remarks
According to its own information, the association punished Mourinho for derogatory and insulting comments as well as unsportsmanlike conduct. The 62-year-old Portuguese must also pay a fine of around 42,000 euros, according to reports.
After the derby in the league, Mourinho had said at the press conference that the opposing substitutes had jumped around "like monkeys" after a controversial situation.
Mourinho's statement was embedded in a general criticism of the performance of Turkish referees, whose conduct the coach has been questioning for some time. As a result, the most recent Istanbul city derby was refereed by Slavko Vincic from Slovenia.
Following Mourinho's statements, Galatasaray announced that it would lodge an official complaint with the European Football Union (UEFA) and the world governing body FIFA. Mourinho's club Fenerbahçe rejected the accusations.
