'Jumping like monkeys': Galatasaray plan criminal proceedings against Jose Mourinho for alleged racist comments

Galatasaray, the Turkish Süper Lig leaders, announced plans to initiate criminal proceedings and report Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho to FIFA and UEFA over alleged racist statements. The controversy emerged following a goalless draw between the two teams in Istanbul on Monday night.

Mourinho had expressed satisfaction with the appointment of Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić for the match.

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After the game, Mourinho shared his thoughts about the referee's performance during his post-match press conference.

"The performance of the referee was a top performance. Anyone, not just from this country but also abroad, watched a big football match. I think the man responsible for that was the referee."



"I went to the referee's dressing room after the game. Of course, the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee. And I told him [the referee], thank you [for coming] here."

"I turn myself to the fourth official and I told [him] this match, if you are the referee ... would be a disaster. When I say him, I say the general tendency."


When questioned about an early-game incident involving his 19-year-old defender Yusuf Akcicek, Mourinho responded:

"Again, I have to thank the referee because with a Turkish referee after the big dive and the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys on top of the kids. A Turkish referee would have [given Akcicek] a yellow card after one minute, and after five minutes I would have to change him."

Galatasaray issued a strong response through an official statement:

"Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Türkiye, Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric. We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA. Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahçe -- an institution professing to uphold 'exemplary moral values' -- in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager."

Mourinho has previously expressed concerns about officiating in Turkey this season. In January, he described the environment around referees in the Süper Lig as "toxic."
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