In a dramatic Turkish Cup quarter-final on yesternight, Galatasaray edged out Fenerbahçe 2-1, propelling them to the semi-finals. The match, held at Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, was marred by post-match turmoil. Following the final whistle, a scuffle broke out between players and officials from both teams, resulting in three red cards. Amidst the chaos, Fenerbahçe’s manager, José Mourinho, was seen grabbing the nose of Galatasaray’s coach, Okan Buruk, causing Buruk to fall to the ground. This incident led to further confrontations, necessitating intervention from riot police.

Galatasaray’s striker, Victor Osimhen, was pivotal in their victory, scoring both goals in the first half. Fenerbahçe’s Sebastian Szymański narrowed the gap with a goal in first-half stoppage time. The match was notably intense, with 14 minutes of injury time due to the disturbances.

The aftermath has been contentious. Galatasaray’s vice-president, Metin Ozturk, condemned Mourinho’s actions as inappropriate and called on Fenerbahçe to address the incident before the Turkish Football Federation intervenes. Galatasaray is considering legal action over alleged racist comments made by Mourinho.

This incident adds to Mourinho’s history of controversial touchline behavior, reminiscent of a 2011 altercation when he poked Barcelona’s assistant coach in the eye while managing Real Madrid.