Chelsea legend Drogba defends Mourinho after allegations of racism from Galatasaray
Chelsea legend Drogba defends Mourinho after allegations of racism from Galatasaray
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba issued a strong statement, defending his former manager Jose Mourinho against allegations of racism by Turkish top division side Galatasaray.
“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for xx years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent ) is there to prove it.
“Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our five stars (five titles league titles),” the former Ivory Coast captain wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Galatasaray had accused Mourinho — who now manages Fenerbahce — of making “racist statements” and said it will initiate criminal proceedings over his comments following their 0-0 Super Lig draw on Monday.
While it was not clear which statements Galatasaray was referring to, Mourinho said the home side’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had been in charge.
Galatasaray said on X that Mourinho had “persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since taking up his role in the league.
“Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric,” the club said.
“We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.”
Drogba scored 197 goals for Chelsea across nine seasons over two stints, winning four Premier League titles, two of which came under Mourinho.
“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 heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it,” Drogba explained, adding, “How can my “Dad” be a racist? Come on guys.”
(with inputs from Reuters)
Published on Feb 26, 2025
