Former Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba has publicly defended Jose Mourinho following accusations of racism from his former club.
Galatasaray announced plans to pursue criminal proceedings against Mourinho, currently manager of Fenerbahce, citing “derogatory statements” against Turkish people.
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The dispute stems from comments Mourinho made after a 0-0 draw between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce on Monday.
Galatasaray alleges that Mourinho referred to their bench “jumping like monkeys” after an early challenge and expressed relief that the match was not officiated by a Turkish referee. In a statement, Galatasaray accused Mourinho of “persistently issuing derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since his appointment at Fenerbahce in June 2024.
However, Drogba, who played for Galatasaray from 2013-14 and worked under Mourinho at Chelsea, took to social media platform X to refute the allegations.
“Dear @GalatasaraySK, You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!” Drogba wrote. “We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.”
Drogba continued, “I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it. Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our 5th star.” He concluded his post by stating, “How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist… Come on guys.”
Galatasaray currently leads Fenerbahce by six points in the Super Lig standings. Winning the league title would grant them a fifth star on their crest, representing their 25th league championship.
Fenerbahce has also issued a statement, claiming that Mourinho’s post-match comments were “taken completely out of context and deliberately distorted” and “could in no way be associated with racism.” The club maintains that Mourinho’s words have been misinterpreted, escalating tensions between the two rival clubs.
