Turkish football has been thrown into turmoil after the entire disciplinary committee of the Turkish Football Federation resigned following the emergence of leaked WhatsApp messages allegedly showing bias against Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho.
The mass resignation, led by committee president Celal Nuri Demirturk, came after messages surfaced online appearing to show officials discussing plans to target the Portuguese manager.
The leaked correspondence has prompted Fenerbahce to submit an official application to the TFF demanding an investigation into what they describe as a "hostile mentality" that compromises the integrity of Turkish football governance.
The controversial messages allegedly showed Demirturk writing: "We will make him pay for this next season. He has been tolerated too much."
Jose Mourinho took charge of Fenerbahce last year
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The WhatsApp exchange reportedly referred to Mourinho's criticism of Turkish referees following a goalless draw with Galatasaray in February.
The Portuguese manager had been sanctioned with a four-match ban and a £35,194 fine for what the TFF described as "derogatory and offensive statements towards the Turkish referee" and accusations that Turkish football was characterised by "chaos and disorder".
The penalty was later reduced on appeal, though the incident marked one of several disciplinary clashes during Mourinho's debut season.
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Jose Mourinho has endured an ongoing feud with the officials since his move to Turkey
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Mourinho then announced he was taking legal action against rival club Galatasaray after they accused him of being racist.
The accusations came due to Mourinho's comments that their bench "jumped around like monkeys" during the match.
Fenerbahce released a strongly-worded statement declaring: "We believe that this hostile mentality, which clearly violates the principle of impartiality and is based on showdowns and revenge, has no place in Turkish Sports."
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General secretary Burak Kizilhan called for a "swift and transparent investigation", warning: "If these allegations are true, not only would the impartiality of the relevant board be compromised, but the institutional reputation and public trust in the Turkish Football Federation would be seriously damaged."
He added that such statements from disciplinary board members would "render the concept of 'discipline' ineffective and constitute a clear attack on the principles of impartiality and equality."
The February incident followed earlier controversies, including Mourinho's claim that Fenerbahce officials hadn't told him "the whole truth" about match referees in Turkish football.
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The leaked Whatsapp message showed leading members of the committee threatening Jose Mourinho, saying: 'We will make him pay for this'
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He had publicly demanded that VAR official Atilla Karaoglan never be involved in Fenerbahce matches again after a controversial decision, and referred to another official as "just a little boy that was there on the pitch".
The season's tensions peaked during a Turkish Cup quarter-final defeat to Galatasaray, when Mourinho grabbed rival manager Okan Buruk's nose after the final whistle, earning him a three-match suspension.
Despite finishing trophyless, Mourinho will remain at Fenerbahce, becoming their first manager in 43 years to keep his position without winning the Super Lig.
His side finished on a respectable 84 points, but still found themselves 11 points behind champions Galatasaray, who only lost one league game all year.
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