Fenerbahçe’s head coach, Jose Mourinho, voiced his criticism of the referee following his team’s dominant 5-0 win against Çaykur Rizespor in the 3rd week of the Trendyol Süper Lig. Despite the resounding victory, Mourinho expressed his dissatisfaction with a specific incident in the first half where Fred was denied a penalty.
Addressing the media after the match, Mourinho described the referee’s decision as a “clear mistake” and questioned the VAR’s judgment. “It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact,” Mourinho stated, emphasizing that the penalty decision could have been a turning point in the first half. He also hinted at having heard unsettling rumors about refereeing before coming to Turkey, which he had hoped were not true.
The Portuguese coach highlighted that the early goal in the match prevented the game from becoming stagnant, forcing Rizespor to chase the game. However, he pointed out inconsistencies in the referee’s criteria, particularly regarding yellow cards and penalty decisions. Mourinho acknowledged that while he has only coached three games in Turkey so far, he has observed enough to compare refereeing performances.
Concluding his remarks, Mourinho admitted that he is trying to focus on his job and ignore concerns about officiating, though he remains somewhat troubled by what he has seen.
