The most wasteful and uninterested derby in Europe in 2025 was the game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Two Turkish giants clashed in a match which could give Jose Mourinho a chance to get closer to Galatasaray but the game ended 0-0 and the atmosphere before and after the derby was fierce. And now it has come to the point when Mourinho‘s former players must defend their former boss against racism claims. The games was repeatedly interrupted due to pyrotechnics and was secured by 30,000 police officers. Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic handed out seven yellow cards, and players from both teams refused to shake hands before kickoff. However, all of that was overshadowed by the chaos that erupted after the match, with The Special One at the center of it.Turkish war against Mourinho!After the match, Mourinho heavily criticized the standard of Turkish referees and told reporters that Galatasaray’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys,” referring to the reaction of coaches and substitutes following an incident in the first half. Due to this statements, Galatasaray announced that they will “initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA“. ♥️♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/s7cAdizbHg— Michael Essien® (@MichaelEssien) February 26, 2025 But, former players Didier Drogba and Michael Essien both rushed in support to their boss. Former Ivory Coast and Africa‘s icon Drogba wrote a post to his former club Galatasaray. “Dear Galatasaray, you know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!! We all know how passionate and exciting rivalries can be, and I was lucky enough to experience it. I saw the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Believe me when I tell you that I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not racist. And history past and recent is there to prove it. How can my ‘father’ be racist? Come on guys” he wrote. Michael Essien was not so vocal as his former Chelsea teammate but he posted the photo of three of them on a training ground in London and added three hearts. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8736122##
