Despite leaving Turkey almost a year ago, “The Special One” José Mourinho still knows how to stun the football world as he advances his legal battle with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
This high-profile lawsuit stems from highly controversial events during Fenerbahce’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor in November 2024. Outraged by a series of decisions from the VAR room, the 63-year-old manager, who was leading Fenerbahce at the time, did not hesitate to heavily criticize them in the press conference. At that time, he bluntly declared that the Turkish national league “smelled fishy” and asserted that international audiences had no reason to be interested in the league.
Reacting to the Portuguese tactician’s statements, the TFF immediately issued a fine of 600,000 lira (approximately $13,000) along with a one-match touchline ban. The highest governing body of Turkish football accused “The Special One” of intentionally smearing the federation’s reputation and degrading the value of the league.
Refusing to bow down and accept the punishment, Mourinho and his associates took an unprecedented step by filing a petition directly to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France. According to the latest announcement on the ECHR’s official website, the court has officially agreed to review the lawsuit and has sent a request to the Turkish Government to provide a written explanation.
In the lawsuit filed with the international court, Mourinho focused his attack on Turkey’s sports justice system by accusing the TFF’s Disciplinary Committee and Refereeing Committee of entirely lacking independence. He asserted that these bodies are mere “puppets” under the direct manipulation of the federation’s President and executive board.
Furthermore, the TFF was fiercely condemned for failing to provide a clear written explanation along with the legal arguments behind the punishment, thereby stripping the former Chelsea manager of his lawful right to a defense. The 63-year-old coach argued that punishing a manager for speaking the truth about refereeing constitutes a serious violation of freedom of speech.
Currently, Mourinho is expected to be appointed as the head coach of Real Madrid after the club’s presidential election concludes this weekend. The 63-year-old tactician has reportedly signed a contract to move to the Bernabéu from Benfica.
