Fenerbahce's head coach Jose Mourinho has had an interesting time in Turkey.
Image: ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP
Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Fenerbahce has been marked by several controversial moments that align with his reputation for drama and provocation.
Since his move to Turkey, there is a long list of notable incidents, with the latest one happening on Wednesday night when he grabbed Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk and squeezed his nose following a heated Turkish Cup tie between the teams.
IOL Sport looks at all of Mourinho’s controversial moments ever since he moved to Turkey in July 2024.
Mourinho received a yellow card just 15 minutes into his Turkish Super Lig debut against Adana Demirspor. His animated protests against referee decisions set the tone for the yellow card, even though Fenerbahçe won 2-1.
During a match against Antalyaspor at the end of September 2024, Mourinho protested a disallowed goal by displaying a still image of the incident on a laptop, which he placed in front of a TV camera. The act earned him another yellow card.
After a 3-2 win over Trabzonspor in November, Mourinho attempted a knee-slide celebration following Sofyan Amrabat’s 102nd-minute winner, only to tumble face-first on the pitch. But that didn’t stop him from also having an eight-minute tirade, accusing a VAR official of bias. Mourinho was fined and banned for the outburst.
In a Europa League match against his former club Manchester United, Mourinho was sent off for persistent protests. In another post-match rant, he expressed frustration with UEFA, saying he wanted to coach outside Europe to avoid bad officiating.
Following a 0-0 draw in the Istanbul derby against Galatasaray in February, Mourinho sparked outrage by saying their bench was “jumping like monkeys”. Galatasaray accused him of racism, announcing criminal proceedings and complaints to UEFA and FIFA. Mourinho denied the allegations. But he banned him for four matches, despite being backed by former Chelsea player Didier Drogba.
Before a Europa League tie against Rangers in March, Mourinho publicly criticised French winger Allan Saint-Maximin on Instagram, calling him “lazy” and “overweight” after the player complained about exclusion from the Fenerbahce squad. This led to a public spat, with Saint-Maximin and his brother hitting back online.
Mourinho’s latest flashpoint came after their 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals when he squeezed Buruk's nose. Buruk was then seen falling to the ground holding his face. So that is probably another ban incoming for the Special One …
@JohnGoliath82