Jose Mourinho, the manager of Fenerbahce, has been banned from his team’s dressing room and fined £20,000 after making controversial comments about VAR following his team’s dramatic win over Trabzonspor.
Fenerbahce secured a last-minute victory when Sofyan Amrabat scored in the 12th minute of stoppage time. But despite the win, Mourinho was unhappy with the way the game was officiated, particularly the two penalties awarded to Trabzonspor. He publicly criticized the VAR official, Atilla Karaoglan, calling the situation “smells bad.”
After the game, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decided to punish Mourinho for his comments, which they said went against the principles of sportsmanship and damaged the reputation of Turkish football. In addition to the £20,000 fine, Mourinho was banned from the dressing room and touchline for one match.
The TFF released a statement, explaining that Mourinho’s remarks harmed the integrity of the sport, undermined the work of referees, and were therefore punished with a fine of 900,000 TL (around £20,178). Mourinho was also hit with a smaller fine of around £1,300 for his unsportsmanlike behavior.
This punishment serves as a reminder to all coaches and players about the importance of respecting officials and maintaining fair play, even when things don’t go their way.
