Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho appears to pinch Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk's nose after 2-1 loss in Turkish Cup
Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho appeared to pinch Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk's nose after his side fell to their Istanbul rivals in the quarterfinal of the Turkish cup on Wednesday, April 2. The loss dashed the Portuguese tactician's title hopes for the season as they failed to beat their opponents for the third time in the campaign.
The clash between the Istanbul-based sides was a close and tense encounter, as has come to be expected when they face each other. Sebastian Szymanski's effort (45+2') halved the deficit after Victor Osimhen bagged a first-half brace for Galatasaray (10', 27'). The match saw nine yellow and three red cards brandished before the final whistle.
This is not the first time the fiery Portuguese tactician has put his hands on an opposing manager, with memories of his poke in the late Tito Vilanova's eye during his time with Real Madrid coming to mind. It remains to be seen if Jose Mourinho will be punished for his actions. Okan Buruk and Galatasaray will next face Konyaspor in the semifinal of the Turkish Cup.
Jose Mourinho's football legacy
Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho is one of the most iconic managers in modern football history. The Portuguese tactician is also one of the most accomplished tacticians of the 21st century, winning titles in every nation he has managed.
The Setubal-born tactician began his career in the dugout as an assistant manager in his native Portugal, where he worked exemplarily under Sir Bobby Robson. He followed the Englishman to Barcelona in 1996, where he remained an assistant before he joined Benfica in 2000 as a manager.
He managed the Eagles for just 10 games, averaging 1.8 points per game, before he joined Leira for 20 games, averaging 1.7 points per game. His performances secured him a move to FC Porto in 2002, where he enjoyed a legendary run that saw him average 2.32 points per game from 127 games and led them to consecutive European titles.
In 2004, he joined Chelsea and led the west London side to their first English Premier League title in over five decades, conceding just 15 goals in 38 matches. In 2007, he left West London after averaging 2.22 points per game from 185 games before joining Inter Milan in 2008. In Italy, he averaged 2.12 points per game from 108 games for the Italian side and helped them to the only European treble in the nation's history.
His efforts in Milan secured him a move to Real Madrid in 2010, where he spent three seasons and averaged 2.30 points per game in 178 games before he left Los Blancos in 2013. Jose Mourinho enjoyed a return to Chelsea before stints with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and AS Roma before taking up his current role with Fenerbahce in 2024.
He has won an impressive eight league titles, five European titles (two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Europa Leagues, and one UEFA Europa Conference League), and 13 domestic cups.
