José Mourinho, coach of Fenerbahçe, strongly criticized the VAR referee of the match won against Trabzonspor (3-2) on Sunday but also Turkish football as a whole by believing that he was fighting against an entire system.
José Mourinho could follow Fenerbahçe’s next matches away from the sidelines. The Portuguese got angry with the referee in charge of the video assistance after his team’s victory at the end of added time on the Trabznspor pitch (2-3) on Sunday. He criticizes him for not having reported a red card to the central referee, nor a penalty which seemed obvious to him for his team against their one-day hosts obtained two. The technician extended his attack to the whole of Turkish football which he felt was ganging up against his team. A heavy burden that could cost him dearly.
“It’s even worse than what I was told.”
“The man of the match? Atilla Karaoglan (the referee in charge of VAR),” he launched in a long tirade on beIN Sports Türkiye. “We didn’t see him but he was the real referee. The referee was not a little boy who was there on the field. But the referee was Atilla Karaoglan. He went from an invisible man to the most important man in the match. I think I speak on behalf of all the fans. We don’t want him anymore because we don’t want him on the pitch anymore. at the VAR. I know I was told that before even before I arrived, I didn’t believe it, but it’s even worse than what I was told. But I prefer to be. on this side. It’s more difficult because we’re fighting against good opponents like Trabzonspor with a lot of good players and a historic coach, but we’re playing against a system and playing against a system is the most difficult thing.
“Tonight, we played against a good team, against a strong atmosphere, against VAR and against the system,” he continues. “It was very hard and that’s why we celebrated this victory so much because it’s incredible to win this match against such powerful people. We are not going to give up. We know what we have. I Blame the people at Fenerbahçe who brought me here, they only told me half the truth.”
“They didn’t tell me everything because if they had told me the whole truth, I wouldn’t have come.”
He continues. “With half the truth and my guys, we are fighting against the opponents and the system. If the system acts strongly, my words will disappear. But maybe the people at Fenerbahçe are more aware of that. They don’t try not even hiding. On the red card, what was Karaoglan doing? He didn’t see the red card but he was very alert to give two penalties that the referee didn’t see. “He was drinking Turkish tea when there was a clear penalty for us and he didn’t give it to us. There are two possible explanations: where he was sleeping or where he was drinking tea.”
“Let’s laugh about it because if we take this too seriously… But I work here in Turkey. It’s not my country but I care because it’s my job and my club. I think you Turks , should care about it, talk about it and denounce what is happening year after year You should do it, not me I will be the one who denounces the system, the one that the system wants to punish and keep my mouth shut. clean.”
