Jose Mourinho found himself at the centre of controversy once again after grabbing Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk’s face following Fenerbahce’s 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
After the final whistle, Mourinho approached Buruk, grabbed his face, and momentarily squeezed his nose before the Galatasaray coach collapsed to the ground holding his face. The incident added to an already heated encounter, which saw three red cards issued in the 92nd minute—one for Fenerbahce and two for the visitors.
Fenerbahce, currently second in the Turkish league, share a fierce rivalry with Galatasaray, who are the league leaders and two-time defending champions.
Mourinho, who took charge of Fenerbahce last summer, has had a turbulent relationship with Turkish football officials. In February, he was handed a four-match suspension and fined for criticising referees after a league match against Galatasaray.
The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United manager accused Galatasaray’s bench of “jumping like monkeys” in reaction to a refereeing decision, prompting accusations of racism, which he denied.
