After the club’s appeal was reviewed, Fenerbahce’s manager, Jose Mourinho, has had his four-match suspension reduced to two by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). The suspension and accompanying fine were imposed due to Mourinho’s remarks regarding Turkish referees made after a match against rivals Galatasaray, where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating during a press conference following the 0-0 Super Lig draw on Monday.

Initially, the TFF imposed a fine of 1.6 million Turkish lira (approximately $43,963.89) on the 62-year-old Portuguese coach, which has now been lowered to 558,500.

The sanctions were imposed due to derogatory and offensive remarks directed at the Turkish referee, and accusation of chaos and disorder within Turkish football, as stated by the TFF. The TFF indicated that Mourinho’s comments breached sports ethics, encouraged violence and disorder, and had the potential to provoke incidents among fans. The match on Monday was officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, following requests from both clubs for a foreign official to oversee the game.

In a statement made on Tuesday, Fenerbahce defended Mourinho, saying that what he said had been misinterpreted and taken out of context. The former manager of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur has faced fines and suspensions in the past due to his comments regarding Turkish match officials. On Friday, Fenerbahce announced that Mourinho had initiated legal action against Galatasaray following their allegations of racist remarks. The Portuguese manager is set to return for Fenerbahce’s Super Lig match against Samsunspor on March 16. Currently, Fenerbahce are in second position in Turkey’s Super Lig, trailing six points behind their Istanbul rivals, Galatasaray.