Racism: Galatasaray drag Mourinho to UEFA, FIFA over ‘monkeys’ comment

Turkish football club Galatasaray has accused Jose Mourinho of making “racist statements,” saying it will initiate criminal proceedings against the Fenerbahce manager over his comments following the teams’ 0-0 draw in the Super Lig.

While it was unclear which statements Galatasaray was referring to, Mourinho said the home side’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had been in charge.

Known for his love and preference for African players in his ranks, with the signing of former Chelsea stars like Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Salomon Kalou, and other notable Black players, social media has been divided over Gala’s comments, with many accusing the Turkish side of interpreting Mourinho’s comment out of context.

Monday’s game was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official to take charge. Galatasaray said on X that Mourinho had “persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since taking up his role in the league.

“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,” the club said in a statement.

Neither FIFA nor UEFA has yet responded to Gala’s statement.