IVORY Coast football legend Didier Drogba and former Ghanaian international Michael Essien have come to the defence of their former coach Jose Mourinho, who has been accused of making racist remarks by Turkish club Galatasaray.
Galatasaray announced that it would pursue legal action against Fenerbahce manager Mourinho following Monday’s drawn league match, during which the 62-year-old allegedly said the home bench was “jumping like monkeys.”
Fenerbahce, however, responded by stating that Mourinho’s remarks had been taken out of context and “deliberately distorted.”
Drogba, who was Chelsea’s record signing in 2004 and played a key role under Mourinho in winning back-to-back Premier League titles, took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend his former manager.
“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, both past and recent, is there to prove it,” Drogba posted.
“How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist?” added the former striker, who also had a stint with Galatasaray.
Essien also backed Mourinho, posting a throwback photo of himself, Drogba, and Mourinho on X and Instagram, accompanied by three heart emojis in a show of solidarity.
The controversy continues to generate debate, with strong reactions from both sides as the football world awaits further developments.
