Galatasaray have accused Fenerbahçe boss Jose Mourinho of “physically attacking” their manager Okan Buruk after grabbing his nose following a heated 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The incident unfolded at the final whistle at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, as both managers were in the center circle interacting with match officials. Mourinho approached Buruk from behind and appeared to pinch his nose, causing the Galatasaray coach to fall to the ground, clutching his face.
“Our manager, Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him,” said Galatasaray vice-president Metin Öztürk.
“Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey? I believe that Fenerbahçe’s management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.”
Galatasaray secured their place in the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory, thanks to a brace from Victor Osimhen.
Buruk calls Mourinho’s actions ‘not classy’
Despite Galatasaray’s strong reaction, Buruk played down the altercation during his post-match press conference.
“There was nothing between me and Mourinho,” he said. “He pinched my nose from behind. There was a slight scratch. Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do,” Buruk told BBC Sport.
“We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”
