“Today, the man of the match was [VAR referee] Atilla Karaoglan. We didn’t see him, but he was the referee of the match,” Mourinho remarked. Speaking on behalf of the entire club, he continued: “We don’t want him again. We don’t want him because it smells bad. We don’t want him. We don’t want him on the pitch, but on the VAR even less.”

Mourinho’s criticisms went beyond individual decisions, accusing the entire officiating system of being biased and noting the challenges of playing under such circumstances. He said: “We play against a system. And to play against a system is the most difficult thing.”

Mourinho’s unrestrained comments did not go unnoticed, leading the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to respond with a significant fine and additional sanctions. On Thursday, the federation issued a statement condemning Mourinho’s statements as unsportsmanlike, arguing that his remarks were detrimental to the integrity of Turkish football.

The TFF statement read: “In the post-match flash interview and press conference are evaluated as a whole; the statements in question are contrary to sportsmanship, sports ethics or the concept of fair play, damage the reputation of the TFF, aim to diminish the value of Turkish football, cast a shadow over the impartiality of the referees and other match officials, and are therefore punished with a discretionary fine of 900,000 TL (£20,178) in accordance with Article 38/4-a of the FDT due to Unsportsmanlike Statements.”

As a two-time Champions League winner and a three-time Premier League champion, Mourinho has had numerous public feuds with officiating bodies in the past during his various stints across Europe. However, his recent statements in Turkey have pushed boundaries further, putting his reputation and future conduct under scrutiny. Due to the ban, the outspoken manager will be relegated to the VIP area when Fenerbahce takes on Sivasspor on Sunday.