José Mourinho filed a complaint with the European Courts of Human Rights (ECHR) against Türkiye regarding how the disciplinary sanctions were handed down by the country’s football federation while he was in charge of Fenerbahce.
The complaint, lodged in March 2025 while he was still coach of Fenerbahce and published earlier this week, claimed Mourinho’s right to freedom of expression was infringed when in November 2024 when he was given a one-match ban and fined 900,000 Turkish lira ($26,200) by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for questioning the impartiality of referees and other match officials.
Mourinho was additionally fined 58,500 lira for unsportsmanlike conduct toward opposing fans. In his application to the European court, Mourinho, 63, claims those sanctions given by the Disciplinary Committee and the Arbitration Committee of the TFF were not determined by an independent and impartial tribunal.
Mourinho also alleged the Arbitration Committee’s failure to issue the reasoned decision to him “violated his right of access to a court.”
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Mourinho spent just over 450 days as coach of Fenerbahce, taking charge ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
His time in Türkiye was a turbulent one, with the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid coach often finding himself in hot water with the Turkish footballing authorities.
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The outspoken coach claimed he was fighting “the system,” insinuating that both the Turkish football authorities and Süper Lig match officials were conspiring against him.
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He was dismissed by Fenerbahce on Aug. 2025 just two games into the Super Lig season.
Mourinho, who joined Benfica three weeks after his Fenerbahce exit, is set to return to guide Real Madrid if Florentino Pérez wins the presidential elections on Sunday.
