Jose Mourinho, the 63-year-old football manager, has lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights challenging disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Turkish Football Federation while he coached Fenerbahce [1, 2, 3].
The sanctions date back to November 2024 when Mourinho received a one-match ban and a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct toward rival fans and for making critical post-match comments about referees [1, 2, 3]. The fine amount is disputed: Bloomberg reports it as roughly €18,000 (about $20,941), while The Straits Times and other sources state the fine was 600,000 Turkish lira (around $13,074.74) [1, 2, 3].
Mourinho argues the disciplinary process violated his right to a fair trial because the committees that handled his case were not independent from the federation's president and board [2, 3]. He also alleges the federation failed to formally notify him of the reasoning behind its verdict, breaching his right to receive a reasoned decision [2, 3].
Additionally, Mourinho claims the penalties infringed on his right to free speech by sanctioning him for publicly criticizing referees [2, 3].
The European Court of Human Rights accepted Mourinho's application on June 1, 2026, and has requested observations from the Turkish government as part of the case proceedings [2, 3].
Mourinho parted ways with Fenerbahce following the team's Champions League playoff defeat in August 2025 and subsequently joined Benfica. He has also been linked to a possible return to Real Madrid [1, 2, 3].
Reports detailing Mourinho’s complaint and the court’s acceptance were published on June 4, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The case is now pending further submissions from the Turkish authorities.
