Jose Mourinho: It was a good match

In the 25th week of the Trendyol Süper Lig, Fenerbahçe drew 0-0 in their away match against Galatasaray. Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho answered questions at the press conference held after the match. When reminded of the results of the three derbies played this season and asked, 'Do you believe you can become champions without winning a derby?', Mourinho replied, "Yes. I think it is possible."

Speaking about the officiating of referee Slavko Vincic, Mourinho said, "I think the referee was the only reason why today's match was good. Both sides fought well. The referee was responsible for it being a good match. Their goal, from the very first thing they did in the 20th second, was to get an 18-year-old player a yellow card. They are very strong in these kinds of underground strategies."

If it had been a Turkish referee, Yusuf would have received a yellow card. I would have had to take him off as well. The referee's performance was at a high level. It was a very competitive match; perhaps not a beautiful match in terms of football, but there was a good fight. There was a position that could have been a penalty in our favor. Was it a handball or not? I don't want to watch it because the referee managed a good match."

Those who watched the match saw a big and good game. After the match, I went to the referee's room, and the 4th official was there too. I said, 'Thank you for coming here and for officiating this match.' I said, 'If it had been you, it would have been a disaster.' By 'you,' I meant Turkish referees. There was a position that could have been a penalty in our favor. Was it a handball or not? I don't want to watch it because the referee managed a good match. It was a very big, good match. It was a good match in terms of emotion and positive football."

"WE TRIED TO WIN"

Regarding the question about Galatasaray's advantage in the head-to-head record, Mourinho said the following:

"We drew today. That is the reality of today. We tried to win, they wanted a draw. There is a 6-point gap, but we have 12 matches left to play. We have the potential to win matches again, just like we did at the beginning of January. They also have great players. They are not a very good team, but they have good and big players. Some of them are players I have met before. They have turned into something else. If they are so good, then they should ask for a foreign referee for every match. We saw what happened when there was a foreign referee. A return home in UEFA tournaments. Only one shot on target against us at their home. We are very good, we are a championship team; if they want to show this and be an example of it, then they should ask for a foreign referee for every match."

"YUSUF, A VERY BIG CHARACTER"

Regarding the performance of young player Yusuf Akçiçek, who started in the 11 for the derby, the Portuguese manager said, "I need to thank him for his performance. If he had played poorly today, you would have killed me. I know very well how these things work. He saved me today, and I trust him. He is not perfect, but I cannot compare him to Varane. When he was this age, I had him playing in the Champions League. I must also thank the referee today. In the situation you mentioned, everyone on the opposing bench was jumping around the player like monkeys. He has great character. If it had been a Turkish referee, he would have given a yellow card in the 1st minute, and I would have had to substitute him in the 5th minute. I know Montella (National Team Manager) is happy. Montella has many players at his disposal, but he must also be pleased with Yusuf's performance. At the same time, the goalkeeper is not bad either. He has the self-confidence to catch the ball with one hand on a cross. Therefore, he is also coming along. He is not a young player. It is a great age for a goalkeeper. He is doing a good job," he concluded.