Okan Buruk’s nose might never be the same after running into Jose Mourinho. (Photo by Murat Akbas/ dia images via Getty Images)
(dia images via Getty Images)
In case you were wondering what Jose Mourinho is up to these days, the answer is “grabbing the nose of other coaches in Turkey.”
The longtime manager, in his first year with the Süper Lig’s Fenerbahçe, got into a bizarre altercation with Galatasaray’s Okan Buruk on Wednesday after a 2-1 loss to his team’s rival in the Turkish Cup quarterfinals.
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Simply put, Mourinho played the “got your nose” game with his counterpart, who proceeded to sell the contact at a level that would make any soccer star proud.
There is a little history there, beyond the century-plus history of Turkey’s two biggest teams.
Per ESPN, Mourinho received a four-game ban after criticizing Turkish officiating in the last meeting between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, a scoreless draw. After that match, Galatasaray accused Mourinho of making racist remarks by describing their bench as “jumping around like monkeys.”
Mourinho is suing the team in response.
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All of that might explain how the Galatasaray X account had a lot to say about Mourinho after the game, from one post that directly translates to “YOU SHOULD NOT ATTACK, YOU SHOULD DIGEST!” to a fully animated video that … ends with Mourinho straitjacketed in a mental asylum?
Mourinho, whose professional stops include Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, joined Fenerbahçe last June after getting dropped by Roma. Fenerbahçe currently sits in second place on the Süper Lig table, six points behind Galatasaray.