Mauro Icardi and José Mourinho are in a feud. The Fenerbahçe coach posted on Instagram, criticizing the Turkish referees who officiated a Galatasaray match. Icardi, however, felt that this was unnecessary and decided to respond to the situation.
The post Mourinho shared on Instagram was not about his own team, Fenerbahçe, but rather about arch-rival Galatasaray, a move that immediately stirred controversy in Turkish football.
The Portuguese coach made it clear that he believed referee Kadir Saglam had overlooked a blatant handball by Galatasaray defender Davinson Sánchez during their match against Gaziantep FK, which Galatasaray won. According to Mourinho, the incident should have resulted in a penalty against his rivals, and he wasted no time in making his frustrations known publicly.
In typical Mourinho fashion, he did not just voice his complaint in a straightforward manner but instead wrapped it in a sarcastic remark aimed at both the referee and the ongoing Handball World Championship. "I want to congratulate my country, Portugal, on reaching the semi-finals. They are providing a lot of inspiration to others," he wrote, accompanying his message with a photo of the controversial moment involving Sánchez. The implication was clear: if the officials were going to allow such blatant handballs to go unpunished, they might as well be competing in the handball tournament rather than football.
This jab did not sit well with Mauro Icardi, Galatasaray’s star striker, who has never been one to hold back when defending his club. Icardi took to Instagram to fire back at Mourinho, posting two stories aimed at mocking and countering the Portuguese coach’s complaints.
In his first story, Icardi shared an edited image of a fictional book titled "The Crying One", an obvious dig at Mourinho’s well-known nickname, The Special One. By flipping the moniker, Icardi suggested that Mourinho, despite his reputation as a confident and composed manager, was in fact whining about officiating decisions instead of focusing on his team’s performances.
But Icardi did not stop there. In his second post, he provided what he saw as clear evidence of hypocrisy on Mourinho’s part. The Argentine highlighted that Fenerbahçe had also benefited from a controversial handball decision in the past, pointing to an incident involving Dušan Tadić, another former Ajax player, just like Davinson Sánchez. Tadić had allegedly committed a handball that went unpunished, yet Mourinho had not made any sarcastic remarks about handball tournaments at that time. This, according to Icardi, exposed Mourinho’s selective outrage and his tendency to complain only when things did not go in his favor.
The social media spat between Mourinho and Icardi quickly became a hot topic in Turkey, with fans from both sides weighing in. Fenerbahçe supporters largely defended Mourinho, arguing that the coach was simply pointing out an unfair decision, while Galatasaray fans applauded Icardi’s quick-witted response and accused Mourinho of trying to create unnecessary drama.
As tensions escalate online, the football world is already looking ahead to February 18, when Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe will face off in the Turkish Süper Lig. The Istanbul derby is always one of the most heated fixtures of the season, but this latest social media feud has only added more fuel to the fire.
While Mourinho and Icardi could theoretically cross paths in the stadium tunnels that day, both will likely be watching from the sidelines. Mourinho, as coach, will be in his technical area, but Icardi, unfortunately for Galatasaray, will not be available for selection due to a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out of action. This means that the highly anticipated showdown between the two fiery personalities may not take place on the pitch, but their war of words could very well continue off it.
Despite the injury, Icardi has remained an influential figure for Galatasaray, both on and off the field. His presence, even from the stands, could provide motivation for his teammates, who will be eager to make a statement against their biggest rivals. On the other side, Mourinho, a master of mind games, will undoubtedly continue to stir the pot in the build-up to the match, potentially using press conferences or social media to keep the focus on his complaints about officiating.
Beyond just Icardi and Mourinho, the stakes for this match could not be higher. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are currently locked in a fierce battle for the Süper Lig title, with every point crucial in the race to be crowned champions. With emotions already running high, any controversial refereeing decision in the upcoming derby could further escalate tensions, especially if one of the teams feels unfairly treated.
For now, the football world waits to see if the social media feud between Mourinho and Icardi will die down or if the two will continue their verbal sparring in the days leading up to the match. One thing is certain: when these two clubs meet on the pitch, there will be no shortage of drama, intensity, and passion.
