Jose Mourinho appeared to grab the nose of rival manager Okan Buruk during an altercation after a stormy cup derby between his Fenerbahçe team and Galatasaray.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs manager has been in charge of Fenerbahçe, in the Turkish top flight, since last summer.
No stranger to controversy or the limelight, Mourinho – who was accused of making “racist comments” when his team faced Galatasaray in February – could face a lengthy ban for this incident on Wednesday night.
The fierce rivalry between the two Istanbul teams is dubbed the Intercontinental Derby.
This latest instalment, in the Turkish Cup, was won 2-1 by Galatasaray at their rival’s ground.
After the match, Mourinho was seen confronting his counterpart, reaching out for Buruk and appearing to catch his nose.
Buruk then went down holding his face before Mourinho was ushered away.
The Galatasaray manager later played down the incident. “There was nothing between me and Mourinho,” Buruk said.
“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.”
In a chaotic finale to the quarter-final tie, Fenerbahçe’s Mert Yandaş and Galatasaray duo Kerem Demirbay and Bariş Yilmaz all saw red after a melee.
💥 Jose Mourinho'dan Okan Buruk'a fiziksel müdahale! #FBvGS pic.twitter.com/6bqDZRj2CM
— A Spor (@aspor) April 2, 2025
This fell before Mourinho’s incident, which also earned him a red, with Yandaş and Demirbay not even making it onto the pitch – both still substitutes when sent off in second-half injury time.
Victor Osimhen, a one-time Chelsea target, scored twice for Galatasaray before Sebastian Szymanski pulled one back before half-time.
Fenerbahçe could not find a leveller, with the cup tie featuring 10 yellow cards as well, including one for Buruk midway through the second half.
In the Turkish Süper Lig, Galatasaray – based on the European side of Istanbul – are currently six points clear of Mourinho’s team, whose home is on the Asian side of the city.
Fenerbahçe do though have a game in hand as they look to reclaim the title.
The two sides played out a thrilling race last season, with Fenerbahçe’s 99 points ultimately not enough as Galatasaray won with 102 points.
The runners-up – who have not won the league since 2013-14 – subsequently parted company with boss İsmail Kartal before hiring Mourinho.
