Jose Mourinho has been handed a four-match ban and fined £35,000 by the Turkish Football Federation following controversial comments made after the Fenerbahce-Galatasaray derby.
The Portuguese coach received the punishment for two separate incidents that occurred after Monday’s goalless draw between the fierce Istanbul rivals.
The 62-year-old former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid boss will now be absent from the touchline for Fenerbahce’s upcoming league fixtures.
The sanctions were announced by the federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board on Thursday.
Jose Mourinho has been fined and banned for his comments
Reuters
Mourinho’s ban stems from comments made in his post-match press conference where he said the Galatasaray bench were “jumping like monkeys” following an early challenge.
The Portuguese coach also criticised Turkish referees, suggesting the match would have been a “disaster” had it been officiated by a Turkish referee instead of Slovenian Slavko Vincic.
The federation imposed a two-match ban and £2,500 fine for his comments to officials, and another two-match ban with a £32,655 fine for his press conference remarks.
Galatasaray responded strongly to Mourinho’s comments, accusing the Fenerbahce boss of making racist statements.
The club announced their intention to “initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho”.
They also claimed he had made “derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people”.
The Turkish Football Federation stated Mourinho’s comments “were contrary to the ethics of sports and the concept of fair play” and “contained expressions that could encourage violence and disorder in sports”.
Fenerbahce strongly defended their manager, issuing a statement saying Mourinho’s comments were “taken completely out of context and deliberately distorted”.
The club insisted his remarks could “in no way be associated with racism”.
Galatasaray announced their intention to “initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho”
Reuters
Fenerbahce vice president Acun Illicali told the Daily Mail they were “more than 110 per cent sure his aim was not to be racist”.
“The history of his life he has always had very good relations with people all over the world, of different nationalities. It is so clearly understandable. It’s an insult to the intelligence of some people,” Illicali added.
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has come to Mourinho’s defence amid the racism allegations.
The Ivory Coast legend, who played for Galatasaray in 2013-14 between two spells at Chelsea under Mourinho, used social media to support his former manager.
Drogba indicated that the Portuguese coach had been a father figure for him during his career.
Sky Sports reported that Drogba referred to Mourinho as his “dad” in his defence of the 62-year-old.
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Mourinho will miss Fenerbahce’s upcoming league matches against Antalyaspor, Samsunspor, Bodrum and Trabzonspor on March 2, 16, 30 and April 2 respectively.
The ban comes at a crucial time in the Super Lig title race, with Galatasaray currently leading Fenerbahce by six points at the top of the table.
Galatasaray are chasing their 25th league title this season, which would add a fifth star to those already on their crest.
The rivalry between the Istanbul giants remains one of the most intense in Turkish football.