What was Jose Mourinho’s ‘laptop protest’? Fenerbahce boss booked after taking aim at VAR in trademark fashion
The incident came in the Istanbul-based side’s 2-0 win over Antalyaspor in the Turkish Süper Lig
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Your support makes all the difference.New Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho was booked in his side’s league meeting with Antalyaspor after using his laptop to ‘prove’ that his team’s goal was wrongly disallowed.
After Edin Dzeko had his goal ruled out for offside by VAR, Mourinho decided to place his laptop in front of the BeIN Sports cameras to show a freeze-frame image that he believed proved the goal should have stood.
The 61-year-old walked back to his dugout after putting his laptop in front of the pitch-side camera, and referee Cihan Aydin subsequently stopped play to book the Portuguese in the 78th minute.
Fenerbahce went on to win the game 2-0 thanks to a Dusan Tadic strike and an own goal from Thalisson Kelven.
Former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Mourinho was appointed as the club’s head coach in June, having left AS Roma in January after almost three seasons in charge.
Fenerbahce lost out on the league title last season to Galatasaray by just three points, having themselves amassed 99 points with 33 wins and just one loss.
And Mourinho has made a typically eventful start to life in Turkey, with his side currently sitting second in the Turkish Süper Lig on 16 points, three behind arch-rivals Galatasaray.
Earlier this month, the Portuguese was fined for missing a press conference after a 3-1 defeat to Galatasaray, though he claimed that he “waited 70 minutes” for his opposite number to give his press conference before deciding to leave.
“I waited for the [Galatasaray manager] Okan Buruk press conference. It didn’t end. I didn’t disrespect anyone, on the contrary, I felt disrespected,” he said at the time.
“In 24 years I have never run away from a press conference or a question. I had to wait at the door because they wouldn’t let me in.”
“I understand that the visiting coach goes to the press conference first, but there are limits,” he added.
Mourinho will face one of his former clubs in the Europa League next month, with Manchester United travelling to Turkey to face Fenerbahce on 24 October.
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