Former Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba has defended Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho after his old club accused the Portuguese coach of making racist statements.
Galatasaray made the allegations following Monday’s 0-0 draw with Fenerbahce, during which Mourinho reportedly said the Galatasaray bench was “jumping like monkeys.”
In a statement, Galatasaray outlined their intention to “initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho.”
According to the club, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach made “derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people.”
However, Drogba, who previously played for Galatasaray and worked under Mourinho at Chelsea, took to X on Wednesday to defend the 62-year-old.
The Ivorian also referred to Mourinho as his “dad.”
“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—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 closer to our 5th star.”
Drogba added: “How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist… Come on, guys.”
