- Galatasaray accused Jose Mourinho of racism and instituted a legal action against the Fenerbahce manager
- Mourinho's comments of “jumping like a monkeys” was blown out of proportion by the Turkish club
- African legend Didier Drogba has moved in defence of his ex-manager “dad” against his former club
African legend Didier Drogba has joined millions of fans and ex-pros to defend Jose Mourinho after Turkish club Galatasaray accused him of racism.
Mourinho’s Fenerbahce played a goalless draw during the Istanbul derby against arch rivals Galatasaray and the aftermath of the match has created chaos.
The manager's words during his post-match conference that the Galatasaray bench were “jumping like monkeys” has led to him being accused of racism.
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Most entities in the football world including fans, pundits and former players have defended the Portuguese manager and accused the Lions of having an agenda.
Drogba defends Mourinho
Former Ivorian footballer Drogba is the latest former player of the Special One to defend him against the allegations, by the Turkish club after the derby.
“Dear @GalatasaraySK, you know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!,” he wrote on his official X account.
“We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent ) is there to prove it.”
“Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our 5 ⭐️”
“How can my “Dad” be a racist 🤷🏾♂️Come on guys,” he concluded.
Drogba played for Mourinho across two spells at Chelsea and won three Premier League titles with the Portuguese manager, forging an eternal relationship.
He left Chelsea after winning the UEFA Champions League in 2012 and joined Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, but returned to Europe after six months.
He spent a year with Galatasaray before rejoining Chelsea for a second time in January 2014, winning his fourth Premier League title at the club, his third under Mourinho.
His former teammate under Jose at Chelsea, Michael Essien has joined in the defence of Mourinho, with a telling message on his X account.
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The former Ghanaian international shared a photo of himself with Jose and Drogba at Cobham, captioned with three love emojis.
Essien also played for the manager at Real Madrid. The Fenerbahce boss has been changed for unsportsmanlike behaviour and insult after the comments.
The Turkish Football League manager is expected to announce a verdict over the incident in the coming days with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk also charged.
Chelsea fans chant Mourinho’s name
Legit.ng reported that Chelsea fans chanted Mourinho's name during their protest against BlueCo at Stamford Bridge before the 4-0 win over Southampton.
Their former manager was accused of racism in Turkey and the chanting was seen as a support, while many see it as a call for him to return to the club as manager.
