Fenerbahçe, competing in the Turkish Süper Lig, announced on Friday that its coach, José Mourinho, has initiated legal action against rival Galatasaray, alleging that the Portuguese coach made racist statements.
According to a statement from Fenerbahçe, Mourinho is seeking 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (around $52,223) in damages for “a violation of his personal rights.”
While additional details were not disclosed, the lawsuit follows a tense match between the two teams last Monday.
After the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, Galatasaray accused Mourinho of making racist remarks and indicated that it would take legal steps against him.
In a press conference after the game, Mourinho commented that the home team’s bench was “jumping like monkeys” and implied that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had officiated.
As a result of his comments, the Turkish Football Federation has suspended Mourinho for four matches.
The federation explained that the sanctions were due to “offensive and insulting remarks” and allegations of disorder in Turkish football.
A Galatasaray spokesperson informed Reuters that they have already filed a lawsuit against Mourinho and have no further comments to make.
Source: Reuters.
