Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has taken legal action against Turkish club Galatasaray after being accused of making racist comments during their goalless match on Monday.
Mourinho was criticized for saying that Galatasaray’s bench was “jumping like monkeys” and for suggesting that a foreign referee should have officiated the game instead of a Turkish one.
As a result, the Turkish Football Federation gave him a four-game suspension and fined him £35,000.
Fenerbahce defended Mourinho, saying his words were misinterpreted and twisted. The club also confirmed that he is suing Galatasaray for 1,907,000 Turkish Liras (£41,467), a symbolic amount representing Fenerbahce’s founding year.
Despite the accusations, Mourinho has received support from former players.
Didier Drogba, who played for him at Chelsea and later for Galatasaray, denied the racism claims.
“I have known Jose for 25 years, and he is not a racist,” Drogba wrote on X. “Let’s focus on our games and support our team.”
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien also showed support by posting a picture of himself with Mourinho and Drogba, along with heart emojis.
Mourinho was on the sidelines for Fenerbahce’s 4-1 Turkish Cup win over Gaziantep but will start his suspension against Antalyaspor on Sunday.
He is expected to return for Fenerbahce’s league game against Sivasspor on April 13.
