Jose Mourinho has dismissed claims he made racist comments – saying his accusers “didn’t know my connections with Africa”.
Mourinho, the manager of Turkish club Fenerbahce, had told a news conference after a match against rival side Galatasaray that the opposing team’s bench was “jumping like monkeys”.
The comment appeared to refer to head coach Okan Buruk, who Mourinho claimed was trying to get a Fenerbahce defender sent off early in the game.
Mourinho, 62, told Sky Sports News: “They were not clever in the way they attacked me, because they didn’t know my past.
“They didn’t know my connections with Africa, with African people and African players and African charities.
“So instead of going against me, I think it boomeranged and went against them.”
He added: “Everyone knows who I am as a person. Everybody knows my bad qualities, but that is not one of my bad qualities. Exactly the opposite!”
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When asked if he regretted the language used, Mourinho said: “Sometimes I do, and I ask myself, ‘Why did you do it Jose? Why did you drop to that level?'”
Mourinho previously announced through his club’s lawyers that he was suing Galatasaray for around £41,000 after the club accused him of making “racist statements”.
Former Ivory Coast footballer Didier Drogba and Ghana star Michael Essien – both of whom Mourinho coached at Chelsea – posted on social media in support of the manager after the accusation was made.
As a result some Galatasaray fans burned Drogba shirts in the street despite playing for the club 53 times between 2013 and 2014.
Mourinho received a four-match ban – later reduced to two – and a fine equivalent to £35,000 for the comments. Mourinho joined Fenerbahce last June.
Sky News has contacted the Turkish Football Federation and Galatasaray for comment.
