Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho has taken legal action against Turkey by filing a case with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), claiming that disciplinary measures imposed on him by Turkish football authorities violated his right to freedom of expression, İdman.Biz reports.
According to Turkiye Today, the Strasbourg-based court has accepted Mourinho's application for consideration and has formally requested observations from the Turkish authorities.
The case stems from disciplinary sanctions handed to Mourinho by the Turkish Football Federation in 2024. At the time, the Portuguese manager was in charge of Fenerbahce and publicly criticised refereeing decisions following a match against Trabzonspor.
As a result, Mourinho was banned from entering his team's dressing room and was also hit with a substantial financial penalty. The former Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager now argues that the disciplinary bodies of Turkish football lack sufficient independence and that the sanctions imposed on him infringed upon his right to free speech.
The case is likely to attract significant attention across European football, given Mourinho's high-profile status and the broader debate surrounding freedom of expression for coaches and players. A ruling in his favour could have implications for how football federations across Europe handle criticism from club officials.
Mourinho managed Fenerbahce from June 2024 until August 2025, guiding the Istanbul club to a second-place finish in the 2024/25 Turkish Super Lig season. He later took charge of Benfica in September 2025 and has recently been linked with a potential return to Real Madrid amid ongoing speculation surrounding the Spanish giants' managerial future.
