Shout out to Drogba, Mikel Obi, others – Jose Mourinho breaks silence on Turkey ban

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has finally spoken out after his controversial ban in Turkey, Soccernet.ng reports. 

The Portuguese gaffer was labeled a racist following his post match comment after Fenerbahce clash with their fierce Turkey rival Galatasaray SK.

Mourinho's controversial remark about Galatasaray players diving “like a monkey.” and comments about Turkish referees resulted to a four match ban on the sideline.

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Meanwhile, Mourinho has dismissed racism allegations against him while expressing gratitude to former African players like Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel for their support.

The Portuguese tactician, who recently faced accusations that led to his suspension, described the claims as a weak attempt to tarnish his image. Also, he insisted that racism is not one of his flaws.

“I was calm, I was relaxed, I was not hurt,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “I just felt, how could they go so low? But it was not a problem for me. The next day, when I started analyzing the scenes, the support was there because everybody knows who I am.”

The Fenerbahce boss weighed in on his deep ties to Africa, which he believes discredit any attempts to label him a racist.

He added: “They were not clever in the way they attacked me because they don't know my connections with Africa, with African people, with African players, with African charities. They have no idea of my past. Instead of going against me, I think it boomeranged and went against them.”

Mourinho reserved special praise for Drogba, Mikel, and other African players who publicly defended him amid the controversy.

“They were not clever in the way they attacked me”

Jose Mourinho speaks for the first time about the racism claims made against him by Galatasaray. pic.twitter.com/4xRfuL5wRO

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 6, 2025

“I have only to thank the people who didn't have a problem speaking, especially my boys, my former African players. They were a very important voice.”

Both Drogba and Mikel had earlier come to Mourinho's defence, dismissing the racism allegations as baseless. The Chelsea legend, Drogba, stated, “How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist? Come on, guys.” Similarly, Mikel said, “For them to label our African dad a racist, for me, that's a f**ing joke.”

With the scandal seemingly behind him, Mourinho remains focused on his managerial career, while his legacy among African footballers continues to speak for itself.