José Mourinho has taken his battle with Turkish football authorities to the European Court of Human Rights, filing a complaint in March 2025 that was published this week. The Portuguese manager alleges the Turkish Football Federation violated his freedom of expression when it sanctioned him for criticizing referee impartiality during his turbulent tenure at Fenerbahçe.

The federation handed Mourinho a one-match ban and a 900,000 lira fine ($26,200) in November 2024, plus 58,500 lira for unsportsmanlike conduct toward opposing fans. His application argues the disciplinary and arbitration committees lacked independence, and that the arbitration panel's failure to provide a reasoned decision denied him meaningful access to a court.

Mourinho lasted roughly 450 days at Fenerbahçe, a spell defined by near-constant friction with the Süper Lig establishment. He framed the conflict as a fight against "the system," accusing officials and administrators of conspiring against his club. The club dismissed him in August 2025, just two matches into the new season.

Three weeks later he resurfaced at Benfica, but his stay there may be brief. Mourinho is positioned to return to Real Madrid if Florentino Pérez secures victory in Sunday's presidential election. The 63-year-old's next chapter hinges on a ballot in Madrid, not a courtroom in Strasbourg.