Mourinho gets four-match ban for ‘monkeys’ and referee blast

Mourinho gets four-match ban for ‘monkeys’ and referee blast
Fenerbahce’s Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho gestures during the Turkish Super League football match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce at the Ali Samiyen Sports Complex stadium in Istanbul on Feb. 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 28 February 2025

Mourinho gets four-match ban for ‘monkeys’ and referee blast

Mourinho gets four-match ban for ‘monkeys’ and referee blast
  • After Monday’s game ended in a 0-0 stalemate, the 62-year-old Mourinho said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys“
  • The Turkish football federation (TFF) disciplinary council handed down a two-match suspension for his comments against the fourth referee and two additional matches for his blast at the Galatasaray bench

ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho was handed a four-match ban and fined more than €40,000 by the Turkish football federation on Thursday for comments he made after an explosive Istanbul derby against Galatasaray.

After Monday’s game ended in a 0-0 stalemate, the 62-year-old Mourinho said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys.”

He also reportedly repeated his criticism of Turkish referees.

Fenerbahce said that Mourinho’s comments were taken out of context.

On Thursday the Turkish football federation (TFF) disciplinary council handed down a two-match suspension for his comments against the fourth referee and two additional matches for his blast at the Galatasaray bench.

They were judged “contrary to sporting ethics.”

Mourinho, whose team trail leaders Galatasaray by six points in the table, was also fined just over €42,000.


Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
Updated 59 min 57 sec ago

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
  • Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear

BRUGES, Belgium: Barcelona fought back three times to snatch a 3-3 draw at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, equalising for the final time late in the game with an own goal from 20-year-old Belgium defender Joaquin Seys.
Barcelona are now 11th in the standings on seven points from four matches while Club Brugge sit 22nd on four points, with both teams still in the hunt for qualification.
In a thriller at Brugge’s Jan Breydel Stadium, the home side opened the scoring through Nicolo Tresoldi in the sixth minute, after a quick counter by Carlos Forbs that exposed the vulnerability of Barcelona’s high defense.
The 21-year-old jet-heeled Portuguese forward controlled a long ball in his stride to beat the offside trap up the right channel before bursting into the box and crossing low for Tresoldi to score with a tidy finish past the goalkeeper.
Barcelona hit right back with Ferran Torres from close range two minutes later but Brugge regained the lead in the 17th minute with Forbs scoring after another quick counter.
In an end-to-end encounter with both sides creating several chances, Jules Kounde struck the crossbar in the 27th minute as Barcelona tried to find the equalizer, while Ferran Torres missed from close range right before the break.

FRANTIC FINALE
Barcelona keeper Wojciech Szczesny made a stunning save early in the second half when Seys entered the penalty box in a counter-attack and struck a bullet shot from close range that the veteran Polish keeper blocked away brilliantly.
Barca defender Eric Garcia almost scored in the 59th minute with a thunderous strike from long range that exploded off the crossbar but it was teenager Lamine Yamal who scored a brilliant individual goal one minute later to level the match again. However, it took Club Brugge only two minutes to get back the lead, with Forbs scoring from another counter-attack, beating Barcelona’s high defense again for the umpteenth time before chipping a tidy finish round Szczesny into the net.
Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear.
There was more drama as Brugge thought they had scored the winner in added time through Romeo Vermant, thanks to what looked to have been a massive blunder by Szczesny. But the VAR video review ruled out the goal as the forward fouled the keeper in his effort to recover the ball, helping Barca rescue a point.
“They have created a lot of danger on the counter-attack and we should have done much better everywhere,” a visibly frustrated Ferran Torres told Movistar Plus.
“It seemed like that with two passes they were already in our box. We have to find ways to improve. The team reacted well, we had a lot of chances. But when you’re behind... It’s tough.”