Fenerbahce defends Mourinho in nose incident with Galatasaray coach

Fenerbahce has issued a statement defending Jose Mourinho regarding the incident with Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk following their 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup quarterfinal.

According to the club statement, Buruk approached Mourinho while he was speaking with referees — then made provocative gestures and disrespectful remarks after crossing the police line.

“He squeezed my nose from behind while I was going on. There was a slight scratch. I won’t exaggerate about it, but it’s not a very stylish thing,” said Buruk after the match.

Fenerbahce criticized Buruk’s reaction as excessive — stating the coach deliberately threw himself to the ground and writhed after his nose was touched.

The Turkish Football Federation is expected to sanction Mourinho. This isn’t the Portuguese coach’s first incident with Galatasaray since joining Fenerbahce last summer — he previously received a two-match ban in February.

Fenerbahce currently sits second in the Super Lig standings, trailing Galatasaray by six points with one game in hand.

This ongoing tension between the two coaches and their teams highlights the growing rivalry in Turkish football. Mourinho’s disciplinary issues and Buruk’s provocative actions have further fueled the animosity between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, adding extra drama to their already intense competition for the league title.