Fenerbahce, the reigning champions in Turkey, have released a statement in support of their manager, Jose Mourinho.
The club has defended Mourinho against accusations made by Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk, who claimed that Mourinho pinched him on the nose during a recent Cup game.
The incident took place after the Turkish Cup quarterfinal match last Wednesday. This comes after a previous complaint made by Galatasaray against Mourinho for alleged racist remarks during their Super Lig clash in February.
Despite Galatasaray’s 2-1 victory in their recent match, the game ended in controversy with both teams receiving red cards. Mourinho was seen pinching the nose of Buruk after the game, leading to accusations of physical assault from Galatasaray.
Fenerbahce has retaliated against their Istanbul rivals, claiming that Buruk exaggerated his reaction to the incident by falling to the ground as if he had been shot.
The statement read (via BBC), “This was a planned provocation [by Buruk] and as part of this plan the individual acted as if he had been ‘shot’ and fell to the ground in a professional manner, and his disrespectful words and actions are documented on video.
“The absurdity of someone who is touched on the nose immediately throwing himself to the ground and writhing for seconds is clear to the public.
“It is evident that this individual’s tendency to fall to the ground, seen during his playing days, continues in his coaching career, showing that this behaviour is a characteristic attitude.”
Mourinho could be banned for up to 10 matches for his antics, according to reports.
