Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been fined £20,000 over rants aimed at VAR official Atilla Karaoglan after their win over Trabzonspor.
He has also been banned from the club’s dressing room
Recall that Mourinho’s men secured the win thanks to a goal in the 12th minute of stoppage time from Sofyan Ambrabat.
In a match filled with controversy, Fenerbahce managed to secure a win with a last-minute goal by Sofyan Amrabat in the 12th minute of stoppage time. Despite the triumph, Mourinho was far from pleased, arguing that VAR officiating played an outsized role in favouring Trabzonspor, particularly through two contentious penalties awarded to the home side.
MOURINHO SAID
“Today, the man of the match was [VAR referee] Atilla Karaoglan. We didn’t see him, but he was the referee of the match,” Mourinho remarked. Speaking on behalf of the entire club, he continued: “We don’t want him again. We don’t want him because it smells bad. We don’t want him. We don’t want him on the pitch, but on the VAR even less.”
Mourinho’s criticisms went beyond individual decisions, accusing the entire officiating system of being biased and noting the challenges of playing under such circumstances. He said: “We play against a system. And to play against a system is the most difficult thing.”
The Turkish Football Federation, TFF, has now decided to slap a significant fine and additional sanctions on Mourinho.
TFF issued a statement, saying: “The post-match flash interview and press conference are evaluated as a whole; the statements in question are contrary to sportsmanship, sports ethics or the concept of fair play, damage the reputation of the TFF, aim to diminish the value of Turkish football, cast a shadow over the impartiality of the referees and other match officials, and are therefore punished with a discretionary fine of 900,000 TL (£20,178) in accordance with Article 38/4-a of the FDT due to Unsportsmanlike Statements.”
Mourinho also received an additional fine of approximately £1,300 and was banned for one match, which barred him from the dressing room and the touchline.
