Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has reacted after being scratched on his nose by Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho on Wednesday, April 2. The Portuguese manager attacked Buruk after both the sides clashed in the quarterfinal of the Turkish Cup.
Okan Buruk reacts after bizarre nose-scratching incident with Jose Mourinho
During a conversation with BBC after the attack from the two-time UEFA Champions League winner, Buruk blasted at Mourinho for his actions and said,
There was nothing between me and Mourinho. He pinched my nose from behind. There was a slight scratch. Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do. We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.
Jose Mourinho is yet to give an explanation for his actions following the incident with the Galatasaray manager and it is yet to be seen whether he gets any punishment for what he did to Buruk. Mourinho is in his first season with Fenerbahce as he joined them in the summer of 2024 and averages 2.09 points per game in the 47 matches he has been in charge of. His contract with the Istanbul based team is valid till the summer of 2026.
Galatasaray Vice President slammed Jose Mourinho
Galatasaray Vice President Metin Ozturk has slammed Jose Mourinho for his physical attack on Okan Buruk after the Turkish Cup clash. He has blasted at Mourinho for his actions and has urged the authorities to take action against the former Real Madrid manager.
While talking to BBC, Ozturk took a dig at Mourinho for his actions and mentioned that he acted in a manner that disrespected Türkiye.
Our manager Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him. Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey? I believe that Fenerbahce's management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.
Since his arrival in Turkey, Mourinho and Galatasaray has had tense relationships. The Turkey club recently accused him of making racist statements after their previous meeting. The controversy took yet another turn after their latest meeting which saw Mourinho scratch Buruk's nose.
In the three meetings that Galatasaray has had with Fenerbahce, Mourinho has failed to register a win against them as he has lost on two occasions and had one draw.