Galatasaray Accuses Mourinho of Physically Abusing Okan Buruk

Jose Mourinho has been accused by Galatasaray of physically abusing their head coach, Okan Buruk, after the Intercontinental Derby.

Mourinho’s Fenerbahce was knocked out of the Turkish Cup after a 2-1 loss to Buruk’s Galatasaray. After the match, both coaches were seen talking to the referees at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium when Mourinho pinched Buruk on the nose, causing the 51-year-old to fall to the ground. The referee issued Mourinho a red card for the incident, preventing him from attending the post-match press conference.

Galatasaray’s vice president, Metin Öztürk, expressed displeasure over Mourinho’s actions, stating: “Our manager, Okan, and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him. Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey? I believe that Fenerbahce’s management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.”

When asked about the incident, Okan Buruk said: “I was going to congratulate the referee when he was also leaving. As I continued, he came from behind and pinched my nose with his hand. It left a slight scratch. It’s not a nice or elegant thing to do. We always want to stay focused on the game. I won’t make a big deal out of this.”

Videos online suggest Mourinho may have been provoked into pinching Buruk, as footage appears to show Buruk saying something before the incident. The Portuguese tactician is yet to share his side of the story.