Fenerbahce release wonderfully petty statement after Jose Mourinho nose pinch
Football in Turkey continues to be bizarre as Fenerbahce have defended Jose Mourinho despite him pinching a rival manager’s nose.
Former Manchester United and Chelsea boss Mourinho grabbed the nose of Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after losing 2-1 in the Turkish Cup but instead of admitting fault, Fenerbahce have gone on the offensive.
In a statement published on X, the club reckon it was Buruk’s fault and that his theatrical dive after the incident was “characteristic” before saying he acted as if he was “shot.”
“[Buruk] had the audacity to make disrespectful hand gestures after crossing the police line,” Fenerbahce said. “After our manager touched his nose momentarily in response to these provocations, the person in question threw himself to the ground in an exaggerated manner.
“The disrespectful statements and actions of this person, who professionally threw himself to the ground with a ‘shot’ reflex as a continuation of this plan after excessive provocations, are recorded in the images.
“The meaninglessness of a person whose nose was touched jumping to the ground and writhing for seconds and the acting that was played are known to the entire public. It is obvious that the images of this person throwing himself to the ground from his football career continued in his coaching career, and that this attitude is a characteristic stance.
“It is clear that the evaluation of the ugly provocations and what happened afterwards should not be one-sided, but should be based on a cause-and-effect relationship.”
Regardless of how Fenerbahce feel about the raction, Mourinho’s nose grab is likely to land him in hot water with Turkish officials.
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It would not be the first time the Portuguese boss has got into trouble for attacking a fellow manager after he gouged the eye of Tito Vilanova, assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, in 2011.
That incident handed Mourinho a two-match ban by the Spanish Football Federation.
Speaking after the game, Buruk said it was not a “classy” move by his Fenerbahce counterpart.
“There was nothing between me and Mourinho. He pinched my nose from behind. There was a slight scratch. Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do. We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”
