Fenerbahce have dismissed as “pathetic slander” the statement by Galatasaray last night that accused Jose Mourinho of racism.
Gala said they would initiate legal proceedings against Mourinho for remarks made by the Portuguese following the 0-0 Super Lig draw between the sides yesterday.
FT | Galatasaray 0-0 Fenerbahçe#GSvFB pic.twitter.com/6oRf6Tb9kt
— Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) February 24, 2025
While Galatasaray did not specify which remarks their statement referred to, reports from outlets including Turkish publication Fanatik quoted Mourinho as having made disparaging comments about the opposition’s coaching staff after the match.
“Everyone on the opposing bench was jumping like monkeys on the player,” Mourinho reportedly said, accusing Galatasaray of attempting to earn a booking for 19-year-old visiting defender Yusuf Akcicek, who was given a rare start in one of the most intense rivalries in world football.
Fener label Gala’s approach as “completely malevolent”
Fener’s interpretation of the comments was completely different to their arch rivals with their statement today reading: “This statement has become necessary regarding a topic that has been on the agenda after the match played between our team and Galatasaray.
“A statement made by our technical director José Mourinho after the match was taken completely out of context and deliberately distorted, as every common sense person can see and understand.
“These expressions, used by José Mourinho to describe the extreme reaction of the opposing team’s technical staff to the referee’s decisions during the match, can in no way be associated with racism.
“Trying to portray this discourse as racist is a completely malevolent approach.
“We would like to inform the public that we will exercise our legal rights regarding this pathetic slander that aims to take the competition out of the field, change the agenda and manipulate it.”
Vincic drafted in for derby clash
The match was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic, a move welcomed by Mourinho, who has fought a war with Turkish officials ever since he moved to Istanbul last year.
He said: “If it was a Turkish referee, he would have given a yellow card in the first minute [to Akcicek] and I would have had to change him in the fifth minute.”
📌 Club Statement from Galatasaray SK
Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Türkiye, Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments… pic.twitter.com/NRLsk9F4kT
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) February 24, 2025
Gala to take legal action
Mourinho’s remarks led to a remarkable statement from Galatasaray, which read: “Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people.
“Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric.
“We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.
“Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahçe—an institution professing to uphold “exemplary moral values”—in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”
Fenerbahce had an early Oguz Aydın strike ruled out because of a foul by Sebastian Szymanski on goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
The result leaves Mourinho’s side six points behind the reigning champions with 14 league matches left for each club this season.