Mourinho faces racism allegations amid declining career in Turkey

José Mourinho, once celebrated as the „Special One,“ is experiencing a downturn in his career as the head coach of Fenerbahce in Turkey. Following a goalless draw in the Istanbul Derby against rivals Galatasaray, Mourinho has been accused of racism by the opposing team.

Galatasaray announced on Monday that they would file a complaint against the 62-year-old Portuguese coach with FIFA and UEFA. This follows Mourinho’s remarks implying that Galatasaray’s coaches and substitutes acted like „monkeys“ on the sidelines after a controversial moment in the match.

Beyond these serious allegations, Galatasaray’s head coach Okan Buruk taunted Mourinho at the post-match press conference, dubbing him „The Crying One.“ Buruk remarked, „He cries on the field, he cries outside, and as if that weren’t enough, he even goes to the referee’s room to cry there. Let him continue to cry…“

Mourinho as a Provocateur

The accusations against Mourinho and the rivalry between Turkey’s top clubs suggest a deep-rooted conflict. Galatasaray has won the Turkish championship five times in the past decade, while Fenerbahce has not claimed the Süper Lig title in eleven years. In an effort to break this dominance, Fenerbahce hired Mourinho, a decorated coach known for his successes with clubs like FC Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.

However, Fenerbahce’s performance has not met expectations, and they currently trail Galatasaray by six points in the league standings. Mourinho has taken his grievances off the pitch, making frequent media criticisms of referees and alleging favoritism towards Galatasaray. He has shared contentious moments from rival matches on social media.

As a result, the Istanbul Derby was officiated by a prominent foreign referee, Slavko Vincic from Slovenia. After the match, Mourinho praised Vincic but also reiterated his controversial comments, stating, „After the dive in the first minute and their bench jumping around like monkeys: with a Turkish referee, you would have had a yellow card in the first minute and after five minutes, you would have had to substitute one of your players.“ He mimicked Buruk’s gestures during this commentary.

Galatasaray responded swiftly, accusing Mourinho of making derogatory comments about the Turkish people since his arrival. They characterized his recent remarks as „inhumane rhetoric“ and labeled them as racist, prompting their official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.

Regardless of the outcome of this situation, it is evident that Mourinho is increasingly being seen not just as a coach but as a provocateur, described by some as „the most gifted populist in world football.“ His tactical prowess has not kept pace with old rivals like Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, or Simone Inzaghi. Instead, Mourinho has resorted to inciting fan emotions while his teams play a destructive style of football.

His recent achievements are limited to a Europa League victory with Manchester United in 2017 and a Conference League win with AS Roma in 2022. Mourinho was released from his position in Rome last year, after which the team experienced a revival, winning 12 of their next 17 matches. Once hailed as „The Special One,“ Mourinho no longer uses this title for himself.