If you thought Istanbul derbies couldn’t get any more explosive, think again.
Galatasaray knocked fierce rivals Fenerbahçe out of the Turkish Cup on Wednesday night in a match that had everything: goals, five red cards, a mass brawl, and Jose Mourinho grabbing the opposing manager by the nose. Yes, really.
The 2-1 quarter-final win for Gala was sealed by superstar striker Victor Osimhen, who scored both goals to dump Mourinho’s men out of the competition. But it’s the scenes in stoppage time – with players clashing, police on the pitch, and managers squaring up – that will live long in the memory.
Osimhen Shows His Class
On a night of total chaos, Victor Osimhen was the calmest man in Istanbul. The Nigerian striker was the undoubted star of the show, firing Galatasaray into the lead with a clinical finish in the 10th minute before doubling the advantage from the penalty spot 17 minutes later.
Victor Osimhen scored twice to as Galatasaray knocked Fenerbahce out of the Turkish Cup! ???pic.twitter.com/kZsRIe9CEx
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) April 3, 2025
Fenerbahçe pulled one back before half-time through Sebastian Szymanski, but despite a frantic finish to the game, they couldn’t find the equaliser.
Then It All Kicked Off…
As the final whistle approached, the match descended into utter chaos. With the clock deep into stoppage time, a full-on brawl erupted involving players, coaching staff, and substitutes from both benches. It was bedlam.
Galatasaray’s Kerem Demirbay and Baris Yilmaz, along with Fenerbahçe’s Mert Hakan Yandas and Fred were all shown red cards. The game was paused as police officers were forced to enter the pitch to restore order.
But the wildest moment of all? Jose Mourinho – of course – stealing the spotlight in a truly bizarre confrontation.
Mourinho Grabs Buruk by the Nose
With emotions boiling over, Mourinho marched across the pitch and inexplicably grabbed Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk by the nose. Yes, you read that right.
MOURINHO'DAN OKAN BURUK'A F?Z?KSEL MÜDAHALE! pic.twitter.com/YLlNiSxIwQ
— Fotomaç (@fotomac) April 2, 2025
Buruk collapsed to the ground, clutching his face, as players and staff sprinted to intervene. Mourinho had to be held back by his own team to stop things escalating further. It was straight out of the Mourinho playbook – controversial, confrontational, and completely surreal.
The incident drew immediate comparisons to his infamous eye poke on Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova during a fiery El Clasico in 2011.
The chaos didn’t end at full-time. Galatasaray kept the heat on post-match with a cheeky jab on social media, posting a picture of Okan Buruk smiling next to Mourinho alongside the caption: “You should not attack, you should digest.” The dig came after tensions had already been simmering for months between the two clubs.
SALDIRMAYACAK, HAZMEDECEKS?N?Z! ? pic.twitter.com/kCjWSdxJG2
— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) April 2, 2025
Back in February, Mourinho was accused by Galatasaray of making racist remarks during a fiery goalless league clash, reportedly describing their bench as “jumping around like monkeys.” The club labelled his words as “unequivocally inhumane rhetoric” and threatened legal action. Fenerbahçe responded by claiming they had filed their own lawsuit, accusing Galatasaray of attacking Mourinho’s personal rights.
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