Jose Mourinho, head coach of Fenerbahce, made strong remarks after his team’s 3-2 victory against Trabzonspor in the 11th week of the Super Lig.
Mourinho, frustrated by the officiating, focused on VAR official Atilla Karaoglan, whom he claimed impacted the game unfairly against Fenerbahce.
Does Jose Mourinho regret his decision to come to Fenerbahce?
After the game, Mourinho expressed his frustration with the officiating:
We didn’t see Atilla Karaoglan on the field; there was a young referee. But behind the scenes, it was Karaoglan. He managed to become the most significant figure in the match while remaining unseen. On behalf of all Fenerbahce supporters, I say we do not want him. We don’t want this referee, not as a VAR official or field referee, especially not as a VAR official.
However, Mourinho also showed disappointment with Fenerbahce’s management for not giving him full transparency before he took the job.
I am angry with those who brought me here. They told me only half of the story. If I had known the full extent, I would not have come to Fenerbahce.
Fenerbahce coach Mourinho frustrated, accuses Turkish officials of unfair calls
Mourinho brought attention to what he saw as biased decisions throughout the match. He specifically pointed out an incident involving Bright Osayi-Samuel, implying that Karaoglan overlooked a clear red card for the opposing team.
“Was he having tea? Maybe Turkish tea? He missed a clear foul,” said Jose Mourinho, frustrated. He noted that if a Fenerbahce player had committed the same offense, there would have been no hesitation in issuing a card.
Mourinho also mentioned penalties that favored the opponent. “The first penalty was really an Atilla penalty,” he said, pointing to what he perceived as the officiating’s partiality against his team.
Jose Mourinho frustrated with Turkish football, warns fans
The coach did not hold back in criticizing the overall state of Turkish football, urging local fans to address these issues.
“People abroad hardly watch this league. Maybe only my son in London follows it,” added Mourinho, frustrated. Jose said that he would post certain match incidents on Instagram, allowing millions of viewers to see the realities of Turkish football.
Speaking about the challenges of playing in Türkiye, Jose Mourinho said:
I was told things, I didn’t believe them, but the reality was worse than what I was told. It’s hard, hard. We play against good opponents, but we also play against the system. That’s the hardest part. We played against VAR, against the system. That’s why we celebrated the way we did after winning.
Mourinho emphasized that the responsibility for discussing these issues rests with the Turkish people. “I am not Turkish, and if I speak, I will be silenced. You Turks need to talk about this,” he said.
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