Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup.Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup.
Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup. | Getty Images
Football manager Jose Mourinho has been accused of “physically attacking” a rival gaffer.
Mourinho, who has managed the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the past, is currently plying his trade in Turkey, managing high-flying Fenerbahce. But tensions boiled over in their Turkish Cup clash with bitter rivals Galatasaray.
After the game, which Galatasaray won 2-1 thanks to a brace from Victor Osimhen, Mourinho was seen grabbing Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk while both managers were talking to officials on the pitch.
Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup.Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup.
Jose Mourinho clashed with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 in the Turkish Cup. | Getty Images
It’s not the first time Mourinho has found himself at the centre of controversy; in fact, he’s rather forged a career out of his outlandish antics and amusing outbursts. Here are some the craziest moments in Mourinho’s career so far.
Taking out Olly Murs
At the 2014 Soccer Aid charity match, Mourinho was placed in charge of the Rest Of The World side. But just nine minutes into the game, Mourinho decided to get stuck into the game physically instead.
As singer Olly Murs received the ball on the wing, the Portuguese manager rushed from the dugout and tackled him to the floor, with the referee blowing his whistle for a free kick. The crowd cheered and everyone on the pitch was laughing - as were ITV’s commentators. Even Murs himself had a smile on his face.
Hiding in a laundry basket
While managing Chelsea in the 2000s, Mourinho received a two-match ban from the touchlines. This ruled him out of helping his side in a crucial Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
But that did little to stop the Portuguese manager, who was communicating with his assistant manager through an earpiece during the game. This isn’t against the rules, and it was assumed Mourinho was just on the phone at a nearby venue.
At half-time, Chelsea’s players headed to the changing rooms to find that this was not the case. Instead, he had snuck into the stadium inside a laundry basket to deliver a team talk.
Speaking after the bizarre hijinks, he said: “I went there and nobody saw me. The problem was to leave after. Stewart Bannister the kit man put me in the basket - it was a little bit open so I could breathe.
“But when he is taking it outside the dressing room, the UEFA guys were following and desperate to find me so he closed the box and I couldn't breathe.”
Trying to tame Balotelli
Italian striker Mario Balotelli is a force of nature, and has caused plenty of problems himself during his career too. Many managers have found him impossible to deal with - but while coming up with Inter Milan, Mourinho tried to tame him.
In a Champions League match against Rubin Kazan, Mourinho’s injury crisis upfront meant he had to rely on a young Balotelli, who picked up a yellow card in the first half.
Mourinho said: “ In that match all my strikers were injured. No Milito, no Eto'o, I was really in trouble and Mario was the only one. When I go to the dressing room at half-time, I spend 14 minutes of the 15 speaking only for Mario.
“Mario I cannot change you. I cannot make a change. I don't have a striker on the bench. Don't touch anybody. Play only with the ball. When we lose the ball, no reaction. If somebody provokes you, no reaction. If the referee makes a mistake, no reaction. Mario, please.
“Minute 46, red card!”
Wearing a wire
After being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, Mourinho moved to Serie A side Roma. But over the next couple of years, he developed a reputation for coming to verbal blows with referees.
This came to a head in 2023, when Mourinho revealed he had worn a wire during a 1-1 draw with Monza - claiming he did so to protect himself from officials.
He said: “I'm not stupid, you know - today, I went to the game with a microphone. I recorded everything. From the moment I left the locker room to the moment I returned. I protected myself.”
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