Galatasaray accuse Mourinho of racist comment, threaten legal action

Galatasaray has announced plans to “initiate criminal proceedings” against Fenerbahce manager José Mourinho, alleging he made “racist statements” following Monday’s goalless Istanbul derby.

The club did not specify which remarks they were referring to, but during his post-match press conference, Mourinho criticized the opposition bench, stating they had been “jumping like monkeys” while reacting to an incident involving 19-year-old Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akcicek. He also reiterated his ongoing criticism of Turkish referees, claiming it would have been a “disaster” if a local official had overseen the game.

The derby was officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic after both clubs had requested a foreign referee for the high-profile fixture.

In addition to potential legal action, Galatasaray said they would file “official complaints” with football’s governing bodies.

Mourinho – a former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager – and Fenerbahce are yet to responded to the accusations.

After the game Mourinho was asked about the performance of 19-year-old defender Yusuf Akcicek and said: “I have to thank the referee. After the big dive in the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys on the top of the kid… with a Turkish referee you would have a yellow card after one minute and after five minutes I would have to change him.”

He added: “I went to the referee’s dressing room after the game, of course the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee. I told him ‘thank you for coming here, you come for a big match’ and I turned myself to the fourth official and I said ‘if you were a referee this match would be a disaster’.”

In a statement, Galatasaray said: “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.”

José Mourinho, a two-time Champions League winner, took charge of Fenerbahçe last summer. Earlier this season, the 62-year-old was fined and handed a ban for his outspoken criticism of refereeing standards in Turkey.

Ahead of Monday’s match, Mourinho had supported the decision to appoint a foreign referee, having previously described the football environment in the country as “toxic.”

“I think it’s important for the credibility and image of the match,” he said.