Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho has said that he was not perturbed by racism allegations made against him by Turkish club Galatasaray following a post-match altercation.
He expressed his disappointment in the Turkish club officials’ decision to stoop so low and make false allegations to tarnish his image on the international stage.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, the former Real Madrid manager said he is calm about the situation and his actions have nothing to do with racism.
“I was calm, relaxed and was not hurt. I just wondered how could they go so low. The support was there because everybody knows who I am as a person. Everybody knows my bad qualities, but racism is not one of them. Exactly the opposite. They were not clever in the way they attacked me,” he said.
Mourinho further thanked his former players, especially those in Africa, for defending and supporting him amid the criticisms.
“Because they didn’t know about my connections with African players. I have only to thank the people who didn’t have a problem speaking out.
“Especially my former African players. They were a very important voice. But independent of that, the most important thing is that I know who I am,” he added.
It is worth noting that former Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien and ex-Ivorian striker Didier Drogba came out to defend Mourinho against the allegations.
This comes after Galatasaray vowed to initiate criminal proceedings against the coach after he allegedly made racist statements in their goalless draw against Fenerbahçe on February 24, 2025.
Mourinho was reported to have said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys” during the game, with Fenerbahçe subsequently saying Mourinho’s comments had been “completely taken out of context.”
The 62-year-old has also filed a lawsuit against Galatasaray seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).
He was handed a four-match ban, which was later reduced to two matches by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), for making derogatory remarks against the referee.
Watch Mourinho’s interview below:
“They were not clever in the way they attacked me”
Jose Mourinho speaks for the first time about the racism claims made against him by Galatasaray. pic.twitter.com/4xRfuL5wRO
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 6, 2025
Meanwhile watch as Ghanaians debate the appointment of Jordan Ayew as Black Stars captain below
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