Mourinho Accused of Physical Attack on Galatasaray Boss in Turkish Cup Clash

Galatasaray has accused Fenerbahce’s manager, Jose Mourinho, of “physically attacking” their head coach, Okan Buruk, after a heated Turkish Cup derby, which saw the two teams clash at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

The altercation took place after the final whistle, as both managers were interacting with the match officials in the center circle.

Mourinho allegedly approached Buruk from behind and pinched his nose, causing the Galatasaray manager to stumble and cover his face.

Metin Ozturk, Galatasaray’s vice-president, condemned the incident, stating, “Our manager Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees, and after that, while Okan was still talking, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him. Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey?”

Ozturk added that he expected Fenerbahce to impose sanctions before the Turkish Football Federation intervened. Galatasaray won the quarter-final 2-1, with Victor Osimhen scoring both goals for the visitors.

In response, Buruk downplayed the incident at his post-match press conference, saying, “There was nothing between me and Mourinho. He pinched my nose from behind. It wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do, but I won’t exaggerate it. We expect managers to act more appropriately in such situations.”

During stoppage time, a brawl between the two benches led to Fenerbahce substitute Mert Yandas and Galatasaray substitutes Kerem Demirbay and Baris Yilmaz all receiving red cards.

This incident follows a previous encounter in February, where Galatasaray claimed Mourinho made “racist statements” during a goalless draw. As a result, the Turkish Football Federation handed Mourinho a four-game ban and a fine of £35,194 for separate disciplinary breaches. Mourinho has since filed a lawsuit against Galatasaray over what he described as an “attack on his personal rights.”