Even by his own standards, Jose Mourinho is attracting the wrong sort of headlines in the Turkish Super Lig.
Mourinho was appointed by Istanbul giants Fenerbahce last summer and has already been responsible for clashes, complaints and a red card against former club Manchester United.
After Fenerbahce were beaten 2-1 by bitter rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup on Wednesday – a game that saw three players shown the red card in stoppage time – Mourinho was involved in an ugly confrontation.
Fenerbahce's statement on Jose Mourinho: ‘This was a planned provocation’
The former Chelsea, Man United and Spurs boss appeared to grab the nose of Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk. Football being football, Buruk quickly hit the deck with his hands over his face.
“Where else in the world can he do this?” asked Metin Ozturk, Galatasaray’s vice-president. “What does he think of Turkey?”
While Fenerbahce have threatened internal sanctions against their manager, their public response seeks to turn the tables on Buruk.
“This was a planned provocation,” read Fenerbahce’s statement. “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.”
If that sounds like an unedifying conclusion to an incendiary derby match, the statement plumbs yet greater depths.
“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.”
The cup tie was the most recent meeting of two clubs at loggerheads.
Galatasaray and Mourinho have been involved in reciprocal legal proceedings since February, when the Super Lig leaders accused Mourinho of making racist comments and he retaliated with a lawsuit of his own.
Victor Osimhen scored both goals to take Galatasaray into a semi-final tie against Konyaspor at the end of the month.
Two of his team-mates, Kerem Demirbay and Baris Alper Yilmaz, were sent off along with Fenerbahce’s Mert Hakan Yandas after tempers flared in time added on.
Osimhen ended the night doing cartwheels in the centre of the pitch but Turkish football authorities can now breathe a sigh of relief – Fenerbahce and Galatasaray will not meet again this season.
