Didier Drogba has defended Jose Mourinho after Galatasaray accused the Portuguese manager of racism.
Turkish league leaders Galatasaray said the club planned to launch criminal proceedings against Mourinho for “derogatory statements” against Turkish people. The club said it would also submit complaints to governing bodies Uefa and Fifa after the Fenerbahce manager’s comments following Monday’s 0-0 draw between the top two sides.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Real Madrid manager made comments about the Galatasaray bench “jumping like monkeys” after an early challenge, and said the match was better because it was not officiated by a Turkish referee.
A statement from Galatasaray said Mourinho “has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since taking over at Fenerbahce in June 2024.
But Drogba, who played for Galatasaray in 2013-14 between two different spells at Chelsea, both of them working under Mourinho, used a social media post on X on Wednesday to defend the 62-year-old, indicating Mourinho has been a father figure for him during his career.
“Dear @GalatasaraySK, You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!” Drogba wrote. “We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 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 5th star.”
Galatasaray, who lead Fenerbahce by six points at the top of the Super Lig, would add a fifth star to those already on their crest if they secure a 25th league title this season.
Drogba added: “How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist… Come on guys.”
Fenerbahce issued their own statement on Tuesday, saying Mourinho’s comments after the match were “taken completely out of context and deliberately distorted”, and could “in no way be associated with racism”.