Turkish club Galatasaray have announced that they intend to bring criminal proceedings over alleged ‘racist statements’ made by Jose Mourinho.
Fenerbahce boss Mourinho is accused of making derogatory remarks during Monday’s Istanbul derby which saw Slovenian official Slavko Vincic drafted in especially for the match.
Mourinho, 62, also said during his post-match press conference that Galatasary’s bench were ‘jumping like monkeys’ in the first half following a challenge from Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akcicek.
The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur manager went on to praise Vincic’s performance after the fiery 0-0 draw, during which the Champions League-level referee handed out seven yellow cards. Mourinho added that it’d have been a ‘disaster’ if the game had been refereed by a Turkish official.
Head coach Jose Mourinho of Fenerbahce (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Mourinho has complained about the standard of refereeing in Turkey on multiple occasions since taking charge of Fenerbahce in June.
Galatasaray has now alleged that Mourinho made racist comments after the match.
A statement from the home side read: “Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce 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 Fenerbahce – an institution professing to uphold ‘exemplary moral values’ – in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”
Despite the goalless draw, Galatasaray maintained their six-point lead over rivals Fenerbahce at the top of the table.
