Fenerbahce's Mourinho Suspended, Fined for Comments on Turkish Referees

Soccer Football - Europa League - Fenerbahce v Manchester United - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 24, 2024 Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho reacts REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
Soccer Football - Europa League - Fenerbahce v Manchester United - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 24, 2024 Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho reacts REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
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Fenerbahce's Mourinho Suspended, Fined for Comments on Turkish Referees

Soccer Football - Europa League - Fenerbahce v Manchester United - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 24, 2024 Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho reacts REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
Soccer Football - Europa League - Fenerbahce v Manchester United - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 24, 2024 Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho reacts REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho has been suspended for one match and fined by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for criticising the performance of the Video Assistant Referee after a 3-2 Super Lig win at Trabzonspor.

Trabzonspor were awarded two penalties in the second half following VAR interventions and with the scores level at 2-2 Mourinho was incensed when a challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel went unpunished, Reuters reported.

The Portuguese coach suggested VAR official Atilla Karaoglan had missed the incident, adding that the Turkish league "smells bad" and that international fans had no reason to watch the league.

The TFF said in a statement that Mourinho's comments were "contrary to sportsmanship, sports ethics or fair-play understanding".

The governing body added Mourinho's remarks were "intended to damage the reputation of the TFF, to lower the value of Turkish football, to overshadow or discredit the impartiality of referees and other competition officials".

Mourinho was fined 600,000 Turkish lira ($18,000) for unsportsmanlike behavior and 58,500 for his conduct towards the opposing team's fans.

Fenerbahce Vice President Acun Ilicali was also fined for criticising the refereeing in a statement on the club's website.



Besiktas to Play Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League Match at Neutral, Empty Venue in Hungary

 Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters shout profanities as they go down an escalator in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Michel Van Bergen/via Reuters)
Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters shout profanities as they go down an escalator in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Michel Van Bergen/via Reuters)
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Besiktas to Play Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League Match at Neutral, Empty Venue in Hungary

 Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters shout profanities as they go down an escalator in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Michel Van Bergen/via Reuters)
Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters shout profanities as they go down an escalator in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Michel Van Bergen/via Reuters)

The Europa League match between Türkiye's Besiktas and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for Nov. 28, has been moved to a neutral venue in Hungary, UEFA announced on Monday.

The match, originally a home game for Besiktas, will now be played at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary after the Turkish government opted not to host the tie.

The decision follows unrest after Maccabi’s recent Europa League game in Amsterdam, where at least five fans were injured in violent street attacks, after their team’s 5-0 loss to Ajax.

Besiktas said on social media that Hungary was the only country willing to host the match but, due to a decision by Hungarian authorities, the game will be held “behind closed doors”.