ISTANBUL (AP) — Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho angrily ripped into both the VAR official and Turkish soccer in general after his team’s win on Sunday, saying he was fighting against “the system” and that he wouldn’t have taken the job if club officials had told him “the whole truth” about how the league works.
Mourinho, who is in his first season at Fenerbahce, said the Turkish league “smells bad” and questioned why any international fans would watch it in a diatribe that suggested officials are biased against his team.
The rant came even though his team beat Trabzonspor 3-2 after scoring a winner in the 12th minute of injury time, leading to wild celebrations where the Portuguese coach ran onto the field and tried a knee slide that led to him tumbling face forward onto the grass.
But it was the decisions of the VAR official, Atilla Karaoglan, that infuriated Mourinho, after Trabzonspor was awarded two penalties while his team’s claim for a spot kick were waved away.
Mourinho also claimed a Trabzonspor player should have been sent off for a red-card offense in the first half.
“(The VAR) was what, drinking coffee at that time?” Mourinho said. “Was drinking coffee, didn’t see the red card for their player. He was alert to give the two penalty decisions when the referee didn’t give (them), and then he was having Turkish tea when it was a clear penalty for us and he didn’t give it.”
Mourinho went on to suggest he had been warned about the referees in the Turkish league before he took the job, but added: “I didn’t believe. It’s even worse than I was told.”
“It’s more difficult because we play against our opponents … but we play against the system,” Mourinho said. “And to play against the system is the most difficult thing. Tonight we play against a good team, against a strong atmosphere, against the VAR and against the system. So very hard. That’s why we celebrated so much this victory, because it’s unbelievable to win this match against so many powerful people.”
The 61-year-old Mourinho took the job after being sacked by Italian club Roma last season. It’s his first coaching job outside Europe’s top leagues and comes after a glittering career that includes two Champions League trophies and league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.
But he hinted that he’s regretting the decision to come to Turkey.
“I blame the Fenerbahce people that brought me here. They told me only half of the truth,” Mourinho said. “They didn’t tell me the whole truth. Because if they tell me the whole truth I wouldn’t come.”
In his press conference moments later, Mourinho continued the attack on Turkish soccer.
“Nobody abroad wants to watch the Turkish league. Who wants to watch this Turkish league abroad?” he said. “Why should they see this? It’s too grey, it’s too dark, smells bad.”
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