Jose Mourinho has the backing of Fenerbahce following nose-pinch incident

Fenerbahce have issued a lengthy defence of manager Jose Mourinho for his clash with Okan Buruk, claiming the Galatasaray boss was play-acting by tumbling to the floor.

Mourinho pinched Buruk’s nose as the pair became embroiled in a touchline altercation following his side’s 2-1 Turkish Cup defeat on Wednesday, earning the Portuguese a red card.

He now faces a ban but his club are standing resolutely by their man, insisting his opposite number incited the incident and then dramatised his reaction – hinting that the Galatasaray coach had been a diver in his playing days.

Posting on X, Fenerbahce wrote: “(Buruk) had the audacity to make disrespectful hand gestures after crossing the police line.

“After our manager touched his nose momentarily in response to these provocations, the person in question threw himself to the ground in an exaggerated manner.

“The disrespectful statements and actions of this person, who professionally threw himself to the ground with a ‘shot’ reflex as a continuation of this plan after excessive provocations, are recorded in the images.

“The meaninglessness of a person whose nose was touched jumping to the ground and writhing for seconds and the acting that was played are known to the entire public. It is obvious that the images of this person throwing himself to the ground from his football career continued in his coaching career, and that this attitude is a characteristic stance.

“It is clear that the evaluation of the ugly provocations and what happened afterwards should not be one-sided, but should be based on a cause-and-effect relationship.”