JOSE Mourinho condemned refereeing standards in Turkey after his Fenerbahce side scored a 102nd-minute winner to cap a dramatic game against Trabzonspor.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager sprinted on to the pitch and attempted a knee slide as Sofyan Amrabat’s late goal in stoppage time earned a 3-2 victory on Sunday.
However, Mourinho was unhappy with home team Trabzonspor being awarded two penalties – both after video assistant referee (VAR) consultations – and thought his side should have had a spot-kick before Amrabat’s late winner.
The 61-year-old even questioned why he had come to Turkey.
Speaking at length to broadcaster beIN Sports, Mourinho criticised the performance of referee Oguzhan Cakir and VAR official Atilla Karaoglan.
“I blame the Fenerbahce people that brought me here,” said Mourinho, who took over at the club in June. “They told me only half of the truth.
“They didn’t tell me the whole truth because if they told me the whole truth, I wouldn’t come.
“But, with half of the truth and my boys, we fight opponents and the system.”
Mourinho added: “He [Karaoglan] was alert to give the two penalty decisions which the referee didn’t give and then he was having Turkish tea when it was a clear penalty for us and he didn’t give it.”
Fenerbahce moved to second in the Turkish top flight, five points behind leaders Galatasaray, after their win.
“The man of the match was Atilla Karaoglan,” added Mourinho.
“We didn’t see him but he was the referee. The referee was just a little boy that was there on the pitch, but the referee was Atilla Karaoglan.
“He goes from the invisible man to the most important man in the match.
“I think I am speaking on behalf of every Fenerbahce fan – we don’t want him again.
“We don’t want him as a VAR. We don’t want him on the pitch but, on the VAR, even less.”
Trabzonspor head coach Senol Gunes dismissed Mourinho’s comments.
“I don’t need to talk about them,” he said. “What happened? Penalty or not? A goal scored? Isn’t it a goal? Many things can be talked about. I stay away from them anyway.
“I think that where there is all that shouting, the decisions are against Trabzonspor, not in its favour.”
There were a number of flashpoints involving officials in Turkish football last season, including the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspending all leagues after referee Halil Umut Meler was punched by a then club president on the pitch after a game.
In another incident, Istanbulspor’s president withdrew his team from the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision in their match against Trabzonspor.