ISTANBUL – Jose Mourinho's recent outburst about Turkish football has led to serious consequences. The Fenerbahce manager has been handed a one-match suspension and fined following his controversial comments about the league and match officials.
Mourinho’s fiery remarks, where he claimed to be struggling against "the system" and accused officials of bias, were deemed unsportsmanlike by the Turkish Football Federation’s disciplinary board. As a result, he was fined 900,000 Turkish lira (approximately $26,200) for questioning the integrity of referees and match officials. In addition, Mourinho was hit with a separate fine of 58,500 lira ($1,700) for unsporting behavior towards rival fans. He will also serve a one-game ban, which means he will not have access to his team’s locker room for Fenerbahce’s upcoming match against Sivasspor this Sunday.
Mourinho’s comments came after a thrilling 3-2 win against Trabzonspor, a match where Fenerbahce scored a dramatic last-minute goal. In the post-match celebrations, Mourinho attempted a knee slide on the pitch but ended up awkwardly falling. The incident followed an earlier red card, which saw him miss Fenerbahce's 3-1 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.
In his first season at Fenerbahce, Mourinho has been outspoken about his thoughts on the Turkish league. He described it as “smelling bad” and questioned its appeal to international fans. He added that if he had known the “whole truth” about the league before taking the job, he might have reconsidered.
Despite the challenges, Mourinho remains committed to reviving Fenerbahce's fortunes. Since joining the club in June, his goal has been to bring back the glory days, with Fenerbahce's last league title coming in 2014. However, after 10 matches this season, the club currently trails their fierce rivals Galatasaray by five points.