Sports
Legal experts weigh in on Mourinho’s controversial post-match remarks
ISTANBUL
Fenerbahçe football club head coach José Mourinho has ignited a heated debate following his comments after a Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby match on Feb. 24 in which he stated that “everyone on the opposing bench was jumping like monkeys.”
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Galatasaray swiftly condemned the statement as racist, however, legal experts argue that while Mourinho’s remark was inappropriate, it does not constitute racism under Turkish or international law.
Emin Özkurt, a Euroleague arbitrator, stated that Mourinho’s words, though offensive, should be legally classified as an insult rather than discrimination.
“This analogy is unacceptable and should be punished, but the penalty must be fair and proportional. The key legal question is whether it falls under Article 41 [insult] or Article 42 [discrimination] of disciplinary regulations. Since the remark was directed at the entire opposition bench rather than an individual, it constitutes an insult.”
He also noted that Galatasaray, as a club, does not have legal standing to file a complaint, as only individuals affected can take legal action. Alpay Köse, head of the Sports Law Institute echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has sole jurisdiction over the matter.
“If the TFF determines Mourinho’s statement violates disciplinary rules, he will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee. While offensive, his words do not meet the criteria for racism, as they did not target a specific racial group.” He added that Istanbul prosecutors could investigate if a criminal complaint is filed.
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Sports lawyer Hüseyin Karaahmetoğlu compared Mourinho’s comments to common sports metaphors, such as “running like a cheetah.”
“It’s an unethical but not racist remark. There is no precedent for racism being applied in such a context in Türkiye,” he argued.
Meanwhile, Devrim Güngör of Ankara University’s Law Faculty described the comment as an emotional reaction rather than a legally punishable offense.
Mourinho, a prominent figure in UEFA’s anti-discrimination campaigns, has previously appeared in UEFA-endorsed documentaries promoting inclusivity in football.
Fenerbahçe’s take
In a counterstatement, Fenerbahçe said that the remarks made by Mourinho “regarding the exaggerated response of the opposing team’s technical staff to the referee’s decisions during the match, should not be linked to racism.”
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The Super Lig side stated in a post on X that it was evident Mourinho “was solely intended to describe the excessive reaction of the opposing team’s technical staff to the referee’s decisions during the match. These remarks cannot, under any circumstances, be associated with racism.”
The Yellow Canaries added that any attempt to portray this statement as a racist remark is “entirely malicious.”
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Fenerbahçe stated that they would inform the public of their intention to exercise their legal rights against this baseless accusation, “which aims to take competition off the pitch, shift the agenda, and manipulate public perception.”
Mourinho took over coaching duties at Fenerbahce last June.
With 58 points, Fenerbahçe are currently in second place, six points behind leaders, Galatasaray.
Wanda Nara ve Icardi arasındaki tartışmalar bitmek bilmiyor. Mahkeme kararı ile çocuğunu görme hakkı elde eden Icardi, Nara’nın dairesine gidince ortalık karıştı.
Arjantin basınına göre Icardi, kızlarını okuldan almaya gitti. Kızlarının yanında evcil hayvanların olduğunu gören futbolcu, Wanda Nara’nın yaşadığı binaya gitti ve büyük olaylar çıktı. Nara, Icardi’nin binayı terk etmesi için bağırmaya başladı. Icardi’nin binaya geldiğini gören Wanda Nara avukatını ve polisi ararken; avukat, gergin anlarla ilgili olarak “O bir deli, bir boğuşma oldu ve her şey kayıt altında” açıklamasını yaptı. Wanda Nara’nın o sırada çığlık attığı duyuldu. Nara’nın araya girmek istemesi üzerine olaya polis müdahale etti.
Yaşananları aktaran bir Arjantli gazeteci şu ifadeleri kullandı: Kızları almak için okula gitti, kızların evcil hayvanları da vardı ama onları istemiyordu. Mauro da hayvanları bırakmak için eski eşinin yaşadığı Chateau Libertador’a gitti. Ancak tüm bunlar büyük bir gerginliğe yol açtı ve olay yerine polis ve Buenos Aires Halk Sağlığı Acil Servisi’nin müdahale etmesiyle sonuçlandı.
Trendyol Süper Lig’in 28. haftasında TÜMOSAN Konyaspor, sahasında konuk ettiği Beşiktaş’ı 1-0 mağlup etti.
Beşiktaş’ta uzun süredir sakatlığı bulunan savunma oyuncusu Gabriel Paulista, 19 maç sonra ilk 11’e adını yazdırdı. Beşiktaş Teknik Direktörü Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Konya Büyükşehir Stadı’nda oynanan karşılaşmaya Emirhan Topçu’nun yerine Paulista’yı ilk 11’de sahaya sürdü.
UEFA Avrupa Ligi’nin 5’inci haftasında 28 Kasım 2024’te Macaristan’da oynanan Maccabi Tel Aviv karşılaşmasında sakatlık yaşayan Brezilyalı futbolcu, o tarihten sonra 19 maçta formasından uzak kalmıştı.
Sahada 45 dakika kalan Gabriel Paulista, ikinci yarıda yerini Emirhan Topçu’ya bıraktı.
Karşılaşmanın ardından beIN Sports’a açıklamalarda bulunan Paulista “Öncelikle sakat olmadığımı, hocamızın kararıyla oyundan çıktığımı söyleyeyim. Futboldan anlamayan kişiler öyle şeyler söylüyor. Zor bir maç oldu. Daha çok karakter koymamız lazımdı. Planladıklarımızı yapamadık. Kötü bir gol yedik. İstediklerimizi hiç yapamadık” ifadelerini kullandı.
KANSAS CITY
The Kansas City Chiefs kept their bid for an historic third straight Super Bowl alive on Jan. 26, holding off the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in an AFC Championship thriller to set up an NFL title clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The Eagles’ explosive ground game carried them to a 55-23 triumph over the Washington Commanders and into the NFL’s championship showpiece in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
In another tense duel between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bills counterpart Josh Allen, Mahomes ran for a 10-yard touchdown and completed the two-point conversion to put Kansas City up 29-22 early in the fourth quarter.
After Allen answered with a four-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel to knot the score at 29-29, Harrison Butker booted a 35-yard field goal that capped the scoring, the Chiefs defense thwarting the Bills’ last bid.
“I’m just so proud of my teammates and how they responded,” said Mahomes, who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. “That was a great football team and I’m just, I’m just lost of words.
“I’m just excited to get down to New Orleans, let’s go make history.”
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Kansas City have now ruined the Bills dreams in four of the last five post-seasons — twice in the conference championship. The Bills haven’t made it to the NFL’s championship showpiece since 1993.
Cheered on by Taylor Swift, the pop singer girlfriend of Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, the home side took the lead in the first quarter with a 12-yard rushing TD from Kareem Hunt.
The Bills responded with a 53-yard Tyler Bass field goal followed early in the second quarter with a six-yard rushing score from James Cook that put the Bills up 10-7.
But then the Chiefs turned on the style with Mahomes showing all his class to find Xavier Worthy with an 11-yard touchdown pass.
The quarterback’s one-yard touchdown run put the Chiefs 11 points up.
Allen answered with a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins and the Bills took a 22-21 lead on Cook’s one-yard scoring plunge.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his team will have to set aside the hype surrounding their bid for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl and focus on the Eagles.
“It still comes down to the game and the purity of the game and each play and how you handle it,” Reid said.
“And so you don’t get yourself too far out of that box. You just concentrate on the opponent and what you’ve got to get done against them.”
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In Philadelphia, quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley rushed for three touchdowns apiece, rookie running back Will Shipley ran for another and Hurts threw for one TD as the Eagles set a record for points scored in a conference championship game.
They’ll have a chance to avenge their 2023 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. Barkley, who came aboard as a free agent for just such an opportunity, set an early tone with a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage.
He added two four-yard scoring runs while Hurts twice plunged into the end zone from one yard out and also delivered a nine-yard TD run.
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Hurts also connected on 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards.
Washington’s Jayden Daniels, trying to become the first rookie quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, played with his trademark aplomb.
His 10-yard rushing touchdown followed by a two-point conversion had the Commanders within 11 points late in the third quarter.
Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown. His one interception was one of four Commanders turnovers that ultimately proved too much to overcome.
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