Jose Mourinho has escalated his dispute with Turkish football authorities by filing a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The 63-year-old manager, who is expected to leave Benfica and return to Real Madrid, remains locked in a battle stemming from his tenure at Fenerbahce in 2024.
Fine and Ban Challenged
Mourinho is contesting a 600,000 Turkish lira (£9,717) fine and a one-match ban from the dressing room and bench area imposed by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). The punishment followed a 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor in the Super Lig on November 3, 2024. Mourinho was penalised for alleged unsportsmanlike conduct towards supporters and critical comments about match officials.
During the match, Trabzonspor were awarded two second-half penalties, and Mourinho was furious that a Trabzonspor player escaped a red card for a poor challenge. He claimed VAR official Atilla Karaoglan missed the incident, described the Turkish Super Lig as "smells bad", and said the league fails to attract international fans.
ECHR Submission
In his submission to the ECHR, Mourinho argues that "the football boards in Turkey are not independent" and that his right to "freedom of expression has been violated". The court has accepted his application and requested observations from the Turkish government.
The TFF contends that Mourinho's comments about impartiality were "intended to damage the reputation of the TFF, to lower the value of Turkish football, to overshadow or discredit the impartiality of referees and other competition officials". The ECHR has asked the TFF whether Mourinho was provided with an independent and impartial tribunal, and whether his right to free speech was balanced against their interests.
Previous Clash with Galatasaray
This is not the only time Mourinho clashed with Turkish authorities. He also received a two-match ban and a £12,200 fine after a row with Fenerbahce's rivals Galatasaray. Following a 0-0 draw, Mourinho claimed the Galatasaray bench had been "jumping like monkeys", prompting Galatasaray to accuse him of racism.
Galatasaray stated: "Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people... Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric. We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA."
Mourinho denied racism, and Fenerbahce said his comments were "taken completely out of context and deliberately distorted" by Galatasaray, adding they should "in no way be associated with racism".
