The length of Jose Mourinho's touchline ban has been revealed after the Fenerbahce boss appealed a four-match suspension this week.
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Mourinho ban length revealedAppealed a four-match suspensionDisciplined after comments about Turkish refsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Mourinho's ban has been cut to two matches, after he was punished for comments made about Turkish referees after last Monday's 0-0 draw with Galatasaray. It means he will be in the stands for Sunday's Super Lig clash with Antalyaspor having already missed Thursday's Turkish Cup tie against Gaziantep. He will return to the bench when his side host Samsunspor on Sunday 16 March.
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The Turkish Football Federation initially handed Mourinho a four-match ban and a £35,000 fine – which has been cut to £12,200 – for "his derogatory and offensive statements towards the Turkish referee" and "accusations of chaos and disorder in Turkish football". The match on Monday was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge, prompting Mourinho to make the comments that landed him in hot water.
WHAT MOURINHO SAID
Mourinho said: "The performance of the referee was a top performance. Anyone, not just from this country but also abroad, watched a big football match. I think the man responsible for that was the referee."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO AND FENERBAHCE?
The drama is not yet over as Galatasaray have announced they will take legal action against the Federation as a result of the decreased ban. The Super Lig leaders also threatened legal action over "racist statements" made by Mourinho during their game, with Fenerbahce filing their own lawsuit "due to the attack on the personal rights" of Mourinho.
