Josè Mourinho at the Istanbul city derby. © ANSA / OLIVIER MATTHYS

Galatasaray makes racism allegations against Mourinho

The goalless draw in the Istanbul city derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce could have legal consequences for Fener coach José Mourinho.

25 February 2025

From: apa

Galatasaray announced on the X platform that it wanted to initiate criminal proceedings against Mourinho for racist remarks. The coach said at the press conference after the 0-0 league match on Monday evening that the opposing bench had jumped around "like monkeys" after a controversial situation.

Galatasaray's statement continued that an official complaint would be filed with the European Football Union UEFA and the world association FIFA. Mourinho's statement was embedded in a general criticism of the performance of Turkish referees, whose behavior the coach from Portugal has been questioning for some time.

This time no referee scolding from Mourinho

The duel with Galatasaray was refereed by a foreign referee, partly due to Mourinho's repeated criticism. A good decision for the 62-year-old star coach: "I think he is responsible for the great game we played," he praised the Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who delivered a "top performance."

The gap to league leaders Galatasaray remained unchanged after the always heated derby. Mourinho's team is the only remaining pursuer, still six points behind the defending champions after 24 matchdays.