A heated Istanbul derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray ended in chaotic scenes on Friday, with allegations of a physical altercation involving Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho and his Galatasaray counterpart, Okan Buruk.
The Turkish Cup quarter-final clash saw Galatasaray emerge victorious with a 2-1 win, but the aftermath was marred by a melee following the final whistle.
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Galatasaray players Kerem Demirbay and Baris Yilmaz, along with Fenerbahce’s Mert Yandas, were all shown red cards in the fracas, which appeared to have been sparked by an incident involving Mourinho and Buruk.
Eyewitness accounts and reports suggest that as the two managers made their way onto the pitch after the game, Mourinho confronted Buruk, allegedly pinching his nose.
Video footage circulating online appears to show the Galatasaray manager falling to the ground, clutching his face, as players from both sides rushed to the scene.
Mourinho was subsequently pulled away by members of his coaching staff. While he escaped immediate punishment from the referee, he could potentially face retrospective action from the Turkish football authorities.
Speaking after the match, Buruk commented on the incident, stating: “He pinched my nose from behind. There was a slight scratch. Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do. We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”
Galatasaray vice-president Metin Ozturk went further, labeling the incident a “physical attack.” He stated: “Our manager Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him. Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey? I believe that Fenerbahce’s management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.”
This is not the first time tensions have flared between the two Istanbul giants this season. In a previous league derby that ended in a goalless draw, Mourinho accused the Galatasaray bench of behaving like “monkeys.” This accusation led to Galatasaray filing a lawsuit against the Portuguese manager in February, alleging racist statements.
Mourinho has vehemently denied the accusations of racism, defending himself in an interview with Sky Sports: “They were not clever in the way they attacked me, because they didn’t know my past. They didn’t know my connections with Africa, with African people and African players and African charities. So instead of going against me, I think it boomeranged and went against them. Everyone knows who I am as a person. Everybody knows my bad qualities, but that is not one of my bad qualities. Exactly the opposite! The most important thing is I know who I am, and the attack accusing racism was a bad choice.”
The latest incident in the fiercely contested rivalry is likely to be investigated by the Turkish Football Federation, and the fallout from this explosive derby is expected to continue in the days to come.
