Jose Mourinho stands up against Galatasaray's racism claims. He says his past proves he cares deeply about Africa, African players, and African charities. Mourinho thinks Galatasaray made a mistake attacking him because his connections with Africa simply turned their criticism back on them.
The dispute began after a 0-0 draw between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray on February 24. Mourinho reportedly said the home bench had been "jumping like monkeys" during the game. Fenerbahce quickly defended their manager, saying his words were completely misunderstood. Galatasaray responded by announcing plans for criminal charges against Mourinho over what they called "racist statements."
Mourinho feels confident about who he really is as a person. He admits he has bad qualities but strongly denies racism counts among them. The 64-year-old manager has filed his lawsuit seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (about £41,000) from Galatasaray. He believes they made a terrible choice when they accused him of racism.
Former Chelsea stars Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast and Michael Essien from Ghana publicly defended their old boss. Mourinho expressed gratitude toward these players for speaking out, calling them "my boys" and "very important voices" in the situation. He made these comments before Fenerbahce's Europa League match against Rangers.
The original controversy included Mourinho criticizing Turkish referees. He claimed using a Turkish official would have been a "disaster." Both clubs requested a foreign referee, resulting in Slovenian Slavko Vincic officiating the match. The Turkish Football Federation initially banned Mourinho for four matches but later reduced it to two games. They cited his "derogatory statements" toward officials and accusations against Turkish football. Galatasaray currently leads the Turkish Super Lig by four points over Fenerbahce.
The dispute began after a 0-0 draw between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray on February 24. Mourinho reportedly said the home bench had been "jumping like monkeys" during the game. Fenerbahce quickly defended their manager, saying his words were completely misunderstood. Galatasaray responded by announcing plans for criminal charges against Mourinho over what they called "racist statements."
Mourinho feels confident about who he really is as a person. He admits he has bad qualities but strongly denies racism counts among them. The 64-year-old manager has filed his lawsuit seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (about £41,000) from Galatasaray. He believes they made a terrible choice when they accused him of racism.
Former Chelsea stars Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast and Michael Essien from Ghana publicly defended their old boss. Mourinho expressed gratitude toward these players for speaking out, calling them "my boys" and "very important voices" in the situation. He made these comments before Fenerbahce's Europa League match against Rangers.
The original controversy included Mourinho criticizing Turkish referees. He claimed using a Turkish official would have been a "disaster." Both clubs requested a foreign referee, resulting in Slovenian Slavko Vincic officiating the match. The Turkish Football Federation initially banned Mourinho for four matches but later reduced it to two games. They cited his "derogatory statements" toward officials and accusations against Turkish football. Galatasaray currently leads the Turkish Super Lig by four points over Fenerbahce.
