By Kwame Bediako
Jose Mourinho has taken legal action against Galatasaray, claiming the club wrongly accused him of making racist statements following Fenerbahce’s match against Galatasaray on February 24, 2025. Fenerbahce issued a statement the following day, insisting Mourinho’s comments were “completely taken out of context,” denying any wrongdoing.
The financial stakes are high, as Mourinho is seeking $190,000 in Turkish Lira (approximately £41,000) through his lawyers. The lawsuit comes after Mourinho’s controversial remarks during a post-match conference, where he criticized the home bench for behaving like “monkeys” and condemned Turkish referees, suggesting their involvement would “disaster” the game.
The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic following a request from both clubs for a foreign official to handle the fixture. During the game, Victor Osimhen drew attention as he exchanged words with the referee.
This latest development comes amid ongoing tensions in Turkish football. On Thursday, February 27, 2025 Mourinho was banned for four matches and fined £35,194 by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for two separate disciplinary offenses. The TFF cited Mourinho’s derogatory remarks towards a Turkish referee and his insulting comments about Turkish football, accusing him of “chaos and disorder” in the sport.
The TFF lambasted Mourinho’s statements, describing them as “divisive and separatist,” capable of encouraging violence and disorder in sports. Mourinho’s remarks included calling the refereeing team’s behavior “disastrous” and accusing them of influencing the game unfairly. The TFF emphasized that such comments “contradict the ethics of sports and the concept of fair play.”
At the heart of the matter is whether his words were taken out of context or represented a deeper issue of racial tensions in Turkish football. The case could have far-reaching implications for the sport, both in Turkey and internationally.
