Turkish Football in Turmoil After Leaked Messages Target Jose Mourinho

Turkish football has been thrown into chaos after a series of leaked messages suggested that senior officials within the country’s football federation were plotting revenge on José Mourinho, claiming he had been “tolerated too much.”

The fallout has already started, with Celal Nuri Demirturk, the head of the Turkish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee, resigning along with the entire board. Their departure follows the leak of WhatsApp messages targeting Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahçe. The controversy stems from Mourinho’s post-match comments earlier this year, after a heated 0-0 draw against Galatasaray. The Fenerbahçe boss didn’t hold back, slamming the referees and labelling Turkish football as “chaotic and disorganized.” 

Those comments earned the Fenerbahçe boss a four-match ban and a hefty £35,000 fine. At the time, the punishment seemed steep—but now, with these alleged WhatsApp messages surfacing, it appears there may have been more to it than met the eye.

Now, leaked comments have shown that Mourinho was onto something. Among the leaked messages, one committee member was quoted saying: “We’ll make him pay next season.” 

Other messages revealed: 

• Mockery of club presidents and team managers. 
• Remarks that Mourinho is “being tolerated too much” and a promise to “make up for it next year.”  

In response to the leaks, Fenerbahçe have hit back strongly, releasing an official statement condemning the apparent bias within the TFF. “Our club has made an official application to the Turkish Football Federation in response to the correspondence that has been made public today and is claimed to belong to members of the Professional Football Disciplinary Board,” the club said. “We believe that this hostile mentality, which clearly violates the principle of impartiality and is based on showdowns and revenge, has no place in Turkish sports.” 

Mourinho’s run-ins with Turkish officials 

The second Istanbul Derby of the 2024/25 season was refereed by Slovenian official Slavko Vincic—drafted in to avoid further claims of domestic bias. While Vincic kept the match itself under control, the real drama erupted after the final whistle. Mourinho took aim at the Galatasaray bench, accusing their players and staff of “jumping around like monkeys,” prompting Galatasaray to accuse him of racism. Mourinho, in turn, denied the accusation and announced legal action against the club. 

Although Mourinho’s ban and fine were eventually reduced on appeal, the damage had already been done—and now, with the leaked messages pointing to a vendetta within the TFF, serious questions are being raised about the fairness of disciplinary decisions in Turkish football. 

As for Mourinho, despite a turbulent debut season at Fenerbahçe and no silverware to show for it, Mourinho is expected to remain at the helm next season. If nothing else, this controversy has only cemented his status as one of the sport’s most polarizing figures in world football. 

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