Galatasaray accuse Mourinho of making ‘racist statements’

Galatasaray said they would “initiate criminal proceedings” against Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho after claiming he made “racist statements” following the teams ‘ 0-0 draw on Monday.

Galatasaray’s statements were not immediately known.

Mourinho again and again criticize Turkish referees, saying it would have been a “disaster” to use an official from the nation during the press conference following the Istanbul derby. He also said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys.”

Slovenian Slavko Vincic requested a foreign official to oversee the match, so Slavko Vincic refereed the game on Monday.

As well as the threat of legal action, Galatasaray said they would submit “official complaints” to 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 questioned about Yusuf Akcicek, a 19-year-old defender’s performance and responded, “I have to thank the referee.” After the first minute’s big dive and the child’s bench jumping like monkeys on top, a Turkish referee would issue a yellow card after one minute, and after five more minutes, I would have to switch 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 said to the fourth official, “If you were a referee, this match would be a disaster,” and I thanked him for coming.

Galatasaray said in a statement that “Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has consistently made disparaging statements toward the Turkish people since taking over his managerial position in Turkey.” His discourse has morphed into blatantly inhumane rhetoric today, going beyond just moral remarks.

We hereby formally inform Uefa and Fifa that we intend to launch criminal legal action in relation to Jose Mourinho’s racist statements.

In response to the reproachable behavior exhibited by their manager, Fenerbahce, an institution that claims to uphold “exemplary moral values,” “furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by them.”

Mourinho, 62, was appointed manager of Fenerbahce last summer and previously received a ban and fine earlier this year for allegedly violating Turkish refereeing regulations.

Prior to Monday’s game, he had previously praised the use of a foreign official after calling the environment there “toxic.”

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