Acun Ilıcalı Speaks to Sky Sports: Defends Mourinho Against Racism Allegations
Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı made a statement regarding Jose Mourinho’s remark, “Everyone on the bench was jumping like monkeys,” which led Galatasaray to announce that they would file a criminal complaint. Speaking to the English media, Ilıcalı defended the Portuguese coach.
Jose Mourinho’s post-derby comments sparked controversy, particularly his statement:
“In the 20th second, the first thing they tried to do was to get a yellow card for my 18-year-old player. They are very strong in underground strategies. If it were a Turkish referee, Yusuf would have received a card early in the match, and I would have had to substitute him. I should thank the referee because, in the incident I mentioned, everyone on the other bench was jumping like monkeys. Yusuf is a top-level player. Montella has many great players at his disposal, but I’m sure he is also very happy with Yusuf’s performance.”
Following these remarks, Galatasaray accused Mourinho of racism and announced that they would be filing a criminal complaint against the Portuguese manager.
Addressing the matter, Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı spoke to Sky Sports News. Ilıcalı’s statement was as follows:
“When I say, ‘You run like a rabbit,’ I am not calling you a rabbit. Likewise, when someone says, ‘You are jumping like a monkey,’ it does not mean you are a monkey.”
