Jose Mourinho has never been one to shy away from controversy, and his latest antics in Turkey have once again put him in the spotlight.
The former Manchester United boss has been at the centre of heated moments throughout his managerial career, from his infamous eye poke on Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova in 2011 to his outspoken criticism of refereeing standards in Turkey.
Now, he finds himself in hot water after a bizarre post-match incident involving Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk.
The drama unfolded after Fenerbahce’s 2-1 loss to Galatasaray in a fiery Turkish Cup quarter-final that saw three red cards.
Tempers flared throughout the match, and emotions ran high at the final whistle.
As both managers stood on the pitch, Mourinho approached Buruk from behind and pinched his nose in an unexpected and provocative gesture.
The Galatasaray coach reacted immediately, appearing stunned before falling to the ground.
Galatasaray wasted no time in condemning Mourinho’s actions, with club vice-president Metin Ozturk calling it an outright attack.
“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?” he stated.
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Buruk himself played down the incident but made it clear that Mourinho’s behaviour was inappropriate.
“There was nothing between me and Mourinho.
“He pinched my nose from behind.
“There was a slight scratch.
“Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do,” he said.
“We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations.
“I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”
Jose Mourinho, who has been vocal about officiating in Turkey and has even been involved in legal disputes with Galatasaray, chose not to attend the post-match press conference.
However, the fallout from this latest controversy is far from over, with the Turkish Football Federation now under pressure to take action.
Whether Jose Mourinho faces punishment remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—his reputation as one of football’s most polarising figures remains intact.
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