Mourinho Lays into ‘Man of the Match’ VAR after Fenerbahce’s Win

 Joe Mourinho. (AFP via Getty Images)
Joe Mourinho. (AFP via Getty Images)
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Mourinho Lays into ‘Man of the Match’ VAR after Fenerbahce’s Win

 Joe Mourinho. (AFP via Getty Images)
Joe Mourinho. (AFP via Getty Images)

Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho said the Video Assistant Referee went from being the invisible man to the most important man on the pitch after several controversial decisions went against his side in their 3-2 Super Lig win at Trabzonspor on Sunday.

Trabzonspor were awarded two penalties in the second half following VAR interventions, and with the score tied a 2-2 late in the game Mourinho was incensed when a challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel went unpunished.

The Portuguese coach suggested the VAR, Atilla Karaoglan, had missed the incident as he was drinking coffee.

Despite having late penalty claims waved away, the visitors got the win when Sofyan Amrabat scored deep into stoppage time, prompting the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager to race onto the pitch to celebrate with a knee slide.

"The referee was just a little boy that was there on the pitch, but the referee was Atilla Karaoglan, so man of the match," Mourinho told beIN Sports Türkiye.

"He goes from the invisible man to the most important man in the match."

Mourinho said Karaoglan should never be involved in officiating another Fenerbahce game.

"Isn't a red card on Bright, Karaoglan was what, drinking coffee at that time, didn't see that red card for that player?" he said.

"He was alert to give the two penalty decisions (to Trabzonspor) when the referee didn't give, then was having Turkish tea when it was a clear penalty for us and didn't give it.

"I think I am speaking on behalf of every Fenerbahce fan, we don't want him again."



Just Frustration: Piastri Explains Radio Cursing at Alpine

Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
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Just Frustration: Piastri Explains Radio Cursing at Alpine

Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)

McLaren's Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri said cursing at former employers Alpine over the radio at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix was just a humorous way of expressing his frustration.

The Australian made a comment after having to go off track to avoid Renault-owned Alpine's Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.

"Alpine still managed to find a way to (expletive) me over all these years later, huh?," he told race engineer Tom Stallard in an exchange not broadcast on television at the time.

Piastri told Reuters at a McLaren fan event in London's Trafalgar Square on Wednesday that his swearing had just been spur of the moment.

"It was just kind of a frustrating coincidence. My qualifying got hampered by an Alpine. I got impeded in the race by both the Alpines. So, it was kind of just a build-up of a few things," he said. "And it was more out of frustration.

"I still have a lot of friends at Alpine. A lot of people that I respect a lot.

"It was just kind of an ironic coincidence that the things that hampered me a bit in the weekend were all with Alpine. But, yeah -- more just me trying to express my humor and frustration in the race."

Piastri joined McLaren after being named by Alpine as their driver for 2023, only for the Australian to very publicly reject the seat with a statement that has become part of Formula One lore.

Then Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer questioned the driver's integrity, and threatened legal action, but McLaren won easily when the matter went to the contract recognition board.

Alpine are now last in the championship, and are still going through turmoil, while McLaren won the constructors' title last year and are runaway favorites again.