Galatasaray has announced plans to initiate criminal proceedings against Jose Mourinho, the manager of Fenerbahce, accusing him of making "racist statements" after the teams' recent match that ended in a 0-0 draw. The controversy stems from comments Mourinho made during a post-match news conference, where he described the Galatasaray bench as "jumping like monkeys" and criticized Turkish referees, suggesting that using a local official would have been a "disaster."

The exact statements that prompted Galatasaray's accusations were not specified, but they expressed serious concern over Mourinho's remarks, which they claim have escalated from derogatory to "unequivocally inhumane." Galatasaray stated their intention to file official complaints with both UEFA and FIFA, emphasizing their commitment to holding Fenerbahce accountable for Mourinho's conduct.

Mourinho's comments came after a match officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, following a joint request from both clubs to have a foreign referee for the fixture. The Portuguese manager has a history of controversial remarks, having previously faced penalties for criticizing refereeing standards in Turkey. Galatasaray's statement highlighted a pattern of derogatory remarks made by Mourinho since he began his tenure in Turkey, indicating that they view his comments as not just inappropriate but harmful to the image of Turkish football. As of now, Mourinho and Fenerbahce have yet to respond to these serious allegations.