Jose Mourinho (foto: Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho unleashed a fiery critique on VAR officials after Fenerbahçe’s last-minute win over Trabzonspor, accusing them of bias and questioning the integrity of Turkish football officiating.
Jose Mourinho once again found himself at the center of attention with his bold and theatrical remarks. The Fenerbahçe coach took the opportunity to make his feelings known about the officiating in his team’s recent victory over Trabzonspor, which was decided by a last-minute goal from Sofyan Amrabat.
"The man of the match was Atila Karaoglan, the VAR official. The invisible man," Mourinho declared. "The on-field referee was just a kid. Atila Karaoglan was the true player of the match. We don’t want to see him again in our games, either on the field or in the VAR room. I’d heard things before coming here, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad."
Mourinho didn’t stop there, launching further criticism in his typical fiery style.
"We played against a good team who fought well, but our real battle is with the system," he continued. "When I say that, I speak for all Fenerbahçe fans. That’s why we celebrated the way we did. People warned me about what happens here, but they only told me half of it. If I’d known everything, I might not have come."
The Fenerbahçe boss also had something to say about the penalty awarded to Trabzonspor.
"Was the VAR official having coffee at that moment? How could he miss it? Or maybe he was drinking tea when he failed to give us a penalty. We need to talk about the injustice that’s been happening here for years. We are clean," Mourinho emphasized.
Whether the Turkish Football Federation will respond with disciplinary action remains to be seen. For Mourinho, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.