Fenerbahçe coach José Mourinho sparked fresh controversy on Wednesday night after grabbing the nose of Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk in a heated conclusion to their Turkish Cup quarter-final clash, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Mourinho’s side.
As the final whistle blew at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Mourinho approached Buruk, initially appearing to exchange words before suddenly grabbing and briefly squeezing the Turkish coach’s nose. Buruk immediately fell to the ground clutching his face, prompting an outpouring of anger from Galatasaray players and staff.
The incident capped an already explosive evening in Istanbul, with tempers flaring throughout the high-stakes encounter between Turkey’s fiercest rivals. The match saw three red cards brandished in the 92nd minute—one for Fenerbahçe and two for Galatasaray—adding to the tension in front of a raucous crowd.
Currently second in the Turkish Super Lig, Fenerbahçe are chasing archrivals Galatasaray, who lead the league table and are the reigning back-to-back champions. The rivalry, among the most intense in European football, has only escalated since the arrival of Mourinho last summer.
This is not the first time the 62-year-old Portuguese tactician has courted controversy in Turkey. In February, Mourinho was handed a four-match suspension and a fine following scathing post-match comments about officiating in a previous clash with Galatasaray. During that outburst, he accused the Galatasaray bench of “jumping like monkeys” in protest at a refereeing decision — remarks that led to accusations of racism from Galatasaray officials, which Mourinho vehemently denied.
Turkish football authorities are expected to review footage of the latest confrontation. Mourinho may once again face disciplinary action, with the Turkish Football Federation under pressure to respond firmly given the high-profile nature of the incident. Neither Mourinho nor Buruk addressed the altercation in their immediate post-match statement.
With the league title race heating up and now added drama in the domestic cup, Turkish football finds itself in the global spotlight — not only for its on-pitch intensity, but also for the increasingly combustible behavior on the touchline.
