Jose Mourinho has taken legal action at Europe's top human rights court. He claims his freedom of expression was violated while he was managing Turkish club Fenerbahce.
The lawsuit was filed in March 2025 at the European Court of Human Rights. This was just six months before he was fired from the Super Lig club after they did not qualify for the Champions League.
Court documents seen by AFP on Thursday show that Mourinho is challenging the "disciplinary sanctions" given to him by the Turkish Football Federation. These were for "unsportsmanlike conduct".
The issue started with comments he made about fans of a rival team and Turkish referees in November 2024. Because of these remarks, he received a match ban and two fines totaling about $21,000.
According to Article 6 of the European Convention, "the applicant complains that the dispute in question had not been determined by an independent and impartial tribunal," as stated in an ECHR document from May 13.
Mourinho also said he had "not been notified" about the TFF's decision. Under Article 10, he argued that his "right to freedom of expression was infringed by the sanctions imposed".
The court accepted his complaint and has asked the Turkish authorities several questions.
When Mourinho came to Istanbul in June 2024, he was welcomed like a superstar. Fans dressed in Fenerbahce's yellow and black were excited to see him.
But he could not fulfill his dream of breaking the club’s title drought, which has lasted since 2014. He was let go 14 months later.
Since leaving Turkey, he has been coaching Portuguese club Benfica. However, he might be back soon to manage Real Madrid again, a team he led from 2010 to 2013.
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