Galatasaray announced their intention to pursue criminal charges against Fenerbahce’s manager, José Mourinho, alleging that he made “racist statements” after their 0-0 draw on Monday. It is unclear which statements Galatasaray refers to.

Mourinho, during the press conference after the Istanbul derby, commented that the home bench “jumped like monkeys” and reiterated his criticism of Turkish referees, stating that it would have been a “disaster” if a Turkish official had been in charge. The match was officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić at the request of both clubs for a foreign official.

In addition to threatening legal action, Galatasaray stated they would file “official complaints” with football’s governing bodies.

Mourinho, a former manager of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, along with Fenerbahce, has yet to respond to the accusations.

After the game, when asked about the performance of 19-year-old defender Yusuf Akcicek, Mourinho thanked the referee for not giving Akcicek a yellow card after his dive and for not penalizing the opposing bench’s behavior, suggesting that with a Turkish referee, there would have been different consequences.

Galatasaray issued a statement criticizing Mourinho’s continued discriminatory remarks towards the Turkish people and condemned his escalation into “inhumane rhetoric.” They announced their plan to initiate criminal proceedings and file complaints with UEFA and FIFA. They also awaited Fenerbahce’s response to their manager’s conduct, questioning their commitment to “exemplary moral values.”

Mourinho, 62, who won the Champions League twice, was previously banned and fined this season for his criticism of refereeing standards in Turkey. Before Monday’s match, he had welcomed the decision to appoint a foreign official, hoping it would improve the credibility and image of the match.

The BBC Sport has reached out to Fenerbahce for a comment.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4g037jl80ko