Jose Mourinho, the manager of Fenerbahce, has been handed a one-match suspension and a significant fine for his recent comments about Turkish football.
The former Chelsea manager accused the referees of bias against his team and claimed to be fighting against “the system.”
The Turkish Football Federation’s disciplinary board imposed a fine of 900,000 Turkish lira (approximately £25,000) on Mourinho for his unsportsmanlike behavior towards referees and match officials.
Additionally, he was fined 58,500 lira (around £1,300) for his behavior towards opposing fans and will not be allowed access to Fenerbahce’s locker room during his suspension.
Mourinho’s suspension will begin on Sunday, meaning he will miss Fenerbahce’s upcoming home match against Sivasspor.
His outburst came after Fenerbahce’s 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor, where Mourinho celebrated with a knee slide onto the field, which resulted in a tumble.
Jose Mourinho celebrating Fenerbahçe’s victory with a knee slide 😅
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 3, 2024
Following the match, Mourinho criticized the Turkish league, labeling it as “badly organized” and questioning its appeal to international fans.
He expressed disappointment, stating that he wouldn’t have taken the Fenerbahce job if he had known the “whole truth” about the league’s structure.
Recently, Mourinho watched from the stands as Fenerbahce lost 3-1 to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League due to a separate one-match ban from a red card incident against Manchester United.
Looking ahead, the 61-year-old mentioned the possibility of coaching a struggling club in England outside of UEFA competitions in the future.
Since his arrival at Fenerbahce in June, Mourinho’s aim has been to elevate the club to a championship-winning level after almost a decade without a league title.
After ten league games, Fenerbahce currently trail Galatasaray by five points in the standings.