Jose Mourinho’s four-match suspension has been reduced to just two matches by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), following a successful appeal lodged by his club, Fenerbahce.
Jose Mourinho, 62, known for his contentious approach, has also seen his financial penalty cut from a hefty 1.6 million Turkish lira (approximately £35,000) to a much lighter fine of 558,000 Turkish lira (around £12,200).
The club announced on Thursday that it would formally contest the sanctions imposed after Mourinho’s remarks during a post-match press conference following a tense 0-0 draw against fierce rivals Galatasaray.
The TFF’s decision to impose these penalties was based on accusations that Mourinho had made “derogatory and offensive statements” about the Turkish officiating.
He was specifically criticized for suggesting that the Turkish football landscape was fraught with “chaos and disorder,” delivering what authorities described as insulting remarks aimed at both the Turkish football community and its referees.
In this high-stakes match, the officiating was handled by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, due to both teams’ requests for a foreign official to manage such a crucial encounter. However, controversy ensued when the fourth official was a Turkish national, leading Mourinho to renew his grievances against Turkish referees in the media.
As a result of this disciplinary action, Mourinho will be absent from Sunday’s crucial fixture against Antalyaspor and has already missed a Turkish Cup clash against Gaziantep FK.
The fallout from the match has continued, with Mourinho initiating a legal claim against Galatasaray for 1,907,000 Turkish lira, roughly £41,000, after the club accused him of making racist comments.
During the heated exchange, Mourinho remarked that the Galatasaray bench had been “jumping like monkeys,” a statement he insists has been egregiously misrepresented. He has strongly defended himself, asserting that these claims were “completely taken out of context.”
Currently, Mourinho’s Fenerbahce sit in second place in Turkey’s Super Lig, trailing their Istanbul rivals Galatasaray by six points.
