Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho was involved in a bitter argument with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk during the two club’s most recent meeting and the Portuguese has now learned his fate
Jose Mourinho has been hit with a three-match ban after pinching the nose of Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk during a bizarre incident. Fenerbahce took on their fierce rivals earlier this week in an ill-tempered Turkish Cup showdown.
The game itself saw FOUR late red cards, while the atmosphere was also tense between both managers. Mourinho appeared to grab Buruk’s nose after the full-time whistle, causing the latter to dramatically fall to the floor.
And the Turkish Football Federation has taken a closer look at the incident and decided on Mourinho’s punishment. The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss has been banned for three games and been fined around £6,000 for what they perceive as ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’.
It means Mourinho will now miss upcoming games Trabzonspor, Sivasspor and Kayserispor. Fenerbahce currently find themselves six points behind league leaders Galatasaray but with a game in hand.
The TTF’s decision comes after a bitter war of words had erupted between the two clubs. Fenerbahce unsurprisingly defended their manager after the incident.
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A statement read: “This was a planned provocation [by Buruk] and as part of this plan the individual acted as if he had been ‘shot’ and fell to the ground in a professional manner, and his disrespectful words and actions are documented on video. The absurdity of someone who is touched on the nose immediately throwing himself to the ground and writhing for seconds is clear to the public. It is evident that this individual’s tendency to fall to the ground, seen during his playing days, continues in his coaching career, showing that this behaviour is a characteristic attitude.”
Galatasaray vice president Metin Ozturk condemned Mourinho for his actions. He said: “Our manager Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him.
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“Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey? I believe that Fenerbahce’s management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.”
But Buruk surprisingly defended his opposite number in the immediate aftermath. He said: “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. We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”
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