Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho says he is the «opposite» of racist following the racism allegations made against him by Galatasaray.
Galatasaray said they would «initiate criminal proceedings» against Mourinho after claiming he made «racist statements» following the teams’ 0-0 draw on 24 February.
«They [Galatasaray] were not clever in the way they attacked me, because they didn’t know my past,» Mourinho told Sky Sports., external
«They didn’t know my connections with Africa, with African people and African players and African charities.
«So instead of going against me, I think it boomeranged and went against them.»
Following the Istanbul derby, Mourinho said the home bench had been «jumping like monkeys» during the game, with Fenerbahce subsequently saying Mourinho’s comments had been taken «completely taken out of context».
Mourinho, 64, has also filed a lawsuit against Galatasaray seeking damages worth 1,907,000 Turkish Lira (£41,000).
«Everyone knows who I am as a person. Everybody knows my bad qualities, but that is not one of my bad qualities. Exactly the opposite!» he added.
«The most important thing is I know who I am, and the attack accusing racism was a bad choice.»
