RAFAEL LEAO GREETED BY HUGE GALATASARAY CROWD AFTER MILAN EXIT

Rafael Leao is greeted by Galatasaray fans in Istanbul after leaving Milan

Rafael Leao was greeted by thousands of fans as he landed in Istanbul to begin his Galatasaray adventure after leaving Milan, preferring them to Aston Villa. ‘Victor Osimhen is a really good friend.’

There was another proposal on the table from Aston Villa, but with figures significantly lower both in terms of the transfer fee to Milan and the salary for the player.

Rafael Leao welcomed by Galatasaray supporters

🎙️ Rafael Leao: Osimhen’le çok iyi arkadaşız. Hem Şampiyonlar Ligi’nde hem ligde çok iyi işler başaracağız. Heyecanla maçlara çıkmayı bekliyorum. pic.twitter.com/pGirb21qJh

— HT Spor (@HTSpor) August 29, 2026

“I hope I can give really good joy to the Galatasaray fans,” Leao told reporters as the crowds screamed his name.

“Galatasaray was looking for this deal to push through from June, the President and vice president did a really good job. Thank you to all the guys who made the deal happen.

“It’s a good opportunity for me and I will do my best.”

It had been suggested that former Napoli striker Osimhen was instrumental in helping convince Leao that this was the best step for his career following seven years at San Siro.

“Osimhen is a really good friend, I think we will do good things together for Galatasaray. We are in the Champions League, want to win the League, so I am excited,” confessed the Portugal international.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Rafael Leao of AC Milan warms up prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Milan had been looking for €50m plus add-ons to make the sale, but ultimately had to settle for closer to €43-45m plus €2m bonus and a 20-25 per cent cut of the future fee.

The player is expected to pocket circa €12m per season in wages with Galatasaray, where he will be teammates with Nigeria international Osimhen.

- Susy Campanale

GALATASARAY READY TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AFTER HORROR NOA LANG INJURY VS. LIVERPOOL

Galatasaray will reportedly take legal action against UEFA after Dutch forward Noa Lang suffered a freak thumb injury from a collision with an advertising hoarding at Anfield

Noa Lang was forced off against Liverpool after suffering a serious injury to his thumb(Image: Getty Images)

Galatasaray reportedly intends to seek compensation from UEFA after Noa Lang suffered a freak injury from a collision with an advertising hoarding at Anfield during their Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

The Reds booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday after beating Galatasaray 4-0 (4-1 on aggregate) at Anfield, setting up a rematch with Paris Saint-Germain, who knocked Liverpool out of the competition in the Round of 16 last year.

During the clash at Anfield, Lang suffered a gruesome injury for which he underwent surgery after he collided with an advertising board. The Dutch forward was in agony, holding his bloody thumb before being taken off the pitch on a stretcher. He was also seen being given oxygen as he left the pitch.

"In the second half of the same match, our player Noa Lang, who suffered an injury, sustained a serious cut to his right thumb, and it is planned for him to undergo surgery in Liverpool in the coming hours with the participation of our medical team," read a statement from the Turkish club, who now reportedly look set to take legal action against UEFA for the injury.

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Galatasaray's general secretary, Eray Yazgan, told HTSpor: "We made a complaint to UEFA representatives after the match. They also made their investigations. UEFA will evaluate the issue.

Noa Lang receives medical attention during Galatasaray's Champions League defeat to Liverpool(Image: (Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images))

"We are in talks with lawyers. We will file a lawsuit for compensation to UEFA. We will ask for our victimization in terms of salary to be eliminated."

Following the game, Liverpool and UEFA officials were spotted investigating the advertising hoarding where the incident occurred.

Liverpool officials inspect the fence against which Galatasaray's Dutch forward Noa Lang sustained an injury(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

While Lang was in serious discomfort following the injury, he later posted a picture on his Instagram account of himself on a hospital bed with two nurses while still in his Galatasaray kit, smiling.

He captioned the post, "s--- happens."

He also confirmed that he has had surgery on his injured hand, with the procedure going successfully. "Surgery went well! Thanks for all the messages," he added.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Ally McCoist, who was covering Liverpool and Galatasaray's game, admitted he could tell the 26-year-old had suffered a shocking injury simply by looking at the reaction of the photographer who was next to Lang when it happened.

"He said: "I could tell there was a significant problem because one of the girls behind there, I'm not sure if she's a photographer but you could see her face, the way she reacted."

- Oscar Maung-Haley

GALATASARAY 3-0 BAŞAKŞEHIR MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

 

LEADING BRANDS ASSOCIATED WITH TEAMS AT UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 

VICTOR OSIMHEN MAKES HISTORY AT GALATASARAY

 

GALATASARAY SEND PRIVATE PLANE FOR OSIMHEN

 

JOSÉ MOURINHO BANNED FOR FOUR MATCHES, FINED AFTER TURKISH REFEREES COMMENT

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been given a four-match ban and fined by the Turkish Football Federation following his comments about Turkish referees after a match at Galatasaray on Monday

Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho was given a four-match ban and fined by the Turkish Football Federation following his comments about Turkish referees after a match at Galatasaray.

- The Hindu Times

JOSÉ MOURINHO ROW WITH TURKISH FA EXPLAINED AMID RACISM ALLEGATIONS AND STRONG DROGBA STATEMENT

Galatasaray have accused Jose Mourinho of racism (Image: Getty Images)

Former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba has defended Jose Mourinho after Galatasaray accused the Fenerbahce head coach of making "racist statements" against Turkish people.

Galatasaray said they intended to launch criminal proceedings against Mourinho and would also submit complaints to governing bodies UEFA and FIFA over the "derogatory" remarks, which they say were made in the aftermath of Monday's feisty 0-0 draw against Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

What was said?

In his post-match press conference, ex-Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mourinho said that the Galatasaray bench were "jumping around like monkeys" following an early tackle.

The 62-year-old also lauded the decision to bring in Slovenian Slavko Vincic to officiate the game and claimed it would have been a disaster if the match would have been refereed by a Turkish official.

Vincic, who refereed last season's Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, was drafted in by the Turkish football federation after recent controversies involving Turkish referees.

A statement from Galatasaray read: "Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric.

"We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.

"Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce - an institution professing to uphold 'exemplary moral values' - in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager."

The statement was posted on the Galatasaray club website under the headline: "Say no to racism."

Didier Drogba statement

Less than 48 hours since the controversy struck, Drogba, who worked with Mourinho during their time at Chelsea, has jumped the defence of his former manager and claimed he is not racist.

In a passionate statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Drogba said: "Dear @GalatasaraySK. You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!! We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I've been lucky enough to experience it.

"I've seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it. Let's focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let's win the league to get close to our 5 [star emoji].

"How can my "Dad" be a racist [man tipping two hands emoji]. Come on guys [red and yellow love heart emoji, and three star emoji]."

- Kieran King

GALATASARAY REMAIN UNBEATEN IN TURKISH SÜPA LIG

 

FENERBAHCE ISSUE STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO JOSE MOURINHO 'RACIST COMMENTS'

Jose Mourinho has been accused of making ‘racist statements’ by Galatasaray (Picture: Getty)

Fenerbahce have issued a strong statement in response to accusations that Jose Mourinho made ‘racist statements’ following Monday’s 0-0 draw against Galatasaray.

Galatasaray said the club planned to launch criminal proceedings against the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager after it was claimed he made ‘derogatory statements’ about Turkish people.

The Turkish league leaders also confirmed their intention to submit complaints to governing bodies UEFA and FIFA after the comments made by Mourinho in the aftermath of last night’s stalemate.

Fenerbahce, who Mourinho joined in the summer, have come out fighting and issues a passionate defence of the 62-year-old.

A statement read: ‘A statement made by our Technical Director Jose Mourinho after the match was completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort it.

‘As every sensible person can see and understand; these statements used by Jose Mourinho to describe the excessive reaction of the opposing team’s technical staff to the referee decisions during the match can in no way be associated with racism.

‘Trying to portray this statement as racist is a completely malicious approach. We would like to inform the public that we will use our legal rights regarding this pathetic slander that was made in order to take the competition off the field, change the agenda and manipulate it.’

Jose Mourinho’s side drew 0-0 with Galatasaray (Picture: Getty)

Mourinho had made comments about the Galatasaray bench ‘jumping like monkeys’ after an early challenge and the match being better because it was not officiated by a Turkish referee. Slovenian Slavko Vincic refereed the contest.

A statement from Galatasaray said Mourinho ‘has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people’ since taking over at Fenerbahce in June 2024.

‘Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric,’ the statement said.

‘We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.’

Describing Mourinho’s conduct as ‘reprehensible’, it said rivals Fenerbahce professed ‘to uphold ‘exemplary moral values”.

The statement was posted on the club website under the headline: ‘Say no to racism.’

Mourinho was defended by Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilicali, who told Sky Sports News: ‘Jose Mourinho is just describing the emotion of the bench by using the word monkey, that’s all.

‘When I say you are running like a rabbit, I don’t say that you are a rabbit. So when I say you are jumping like a monkey, it doesn’t mean you are a monkey.

‘You can clearly understand that Jose Mourinho had no intention to be racist, in the words or behind the words or around the words. That’s a very clear situation that is trying to be manipulated by Galatasaray’s board, and we are used to it in Turkey.

- James Goldman

JOSE MOURINHO DUBBED 'CRYNG ONE' BY GALATASARAY AFTER LOSS

PA

Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho was called "the crying one" by Galatasaray following his team's 3-1 home loss in the Istanbul derby on Saturday.

It marked Fenerbahce's first Super Lig defeat of the season and left Mourinho's side trailing league leaders Galatasaray by five points.

Mourinho, who famously described himself as a "Special One" during his first spell at Chelsea, left the stadium on Saturday without attending the postgame news conference.

Galatasaray posted on their official X account a Photoshopped image of a book titled "The Crying One," with an image of Mourinho looking sad on the cover with the caption: "On sale in stores around Kadıköy."

With Fenerbahce down 3-1 after 63 minutes, Galatasaray posted "Seems like we're cooking a special one tonight."

The club also posted a photograph of Mourinho behind Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk during the game with the caption "the winner one."

Mourinho, who took over at Fenerbahce in the summer, six months after being sacked by Roma, recently labelled himself "The Foreign One" when addressing his need to adapt to Turkish football.

The Portuguese manager is attempting to lead Fenerbahce to their first Super Lig title in a decade.

Fenerbahce are back in action on Thursday when they host Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in their Europa League opener.

- Adriana Garcia 

GALATASARAY PLOTTING SURPRISE CASEMIRO TRANSFER SWOOP WITH MAN UNITED OPEN TO OFFLOADING BRAZILIAN AFTER NIGHTMARE PERFORMANCE AGAINST LIVERPOOL

Getty

Casemiro has reportedly made a decision on his Manchester United future as Galatasaray plot a move for the Brazilian after Liverpool nightmare.

• Casemiro was poor against Liverpool
• His mistakes led to two of the goals
• United are ready to ship him to Turkey

WHAT HAPPENED?

Casemiro's standing at United has come under scrutiny after his disappointing performance in United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday. The 32-year-old was replaced at half-time after costly errors contributed to Liverpool's first two goals, both netted by Luis Diaz. This lacklustre display has cast doubt on Casemiro's future at Old Trafford and he could be shipped away to Galatasaray, according to ESPN. The report adds that United have been open to Casemiro's exit throughout the summer.

Getty 

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Since his high-profile transfer from Real Madrid in 2022, where he was acquired for £60 million ($79m), Casemiro has been one of United’s top earners, with weekly wages reportedly exceeding £300,000 ($394,000). Galatasaray's interest may present a viable option for both parties, but the financial aspects of such a deal remain complex. The Brazilian’s substantial salary could pose a significant hurdle for the Turkish side and a potential loan deal might hinge on United's willingness to cover a portion of his wages.

DID YOU KNOW?

Casemiro's position as a regular starter at United is further threatened by the arrival of Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan was brought in on deadline day for an initial €50m (£42.3m/$55m) fee from Paris Saint-Germain, adding depth and competition to United’s midfield. Although Ugarte was not eligible to play against Liverpool due to registration issues, he will be available for selection after the international break.

Getty

WHAT NEXT?

As the Turkish transfer window remains open until September 13, Galatasaray will continue to assess their options, with Casemiro seemingly at the top of their list. A move to Turkey could offer a fresh start and a new challenge for the waning Brazilian while for Galatasaray, it would represent a significant coup, after getting on board Victor Osimhen from Napoli, in their efforts to build a competitive squad.

- Soham Mukherjee

MAN UNITED TARGET BAYERN MUNICH'S NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI - SOURCE

Noussair Mazraoui © Gallo Images

Manchester United are looking at a number of potential right-back signings including Bayern Munich's Noussair Mazraoui, a source has told ESPN.

United would like to add another right-back to their squad this summer, but it is likely to depend on Aaron Wan-Bissaka leaving Old Trafford.

Bayern defender Mazraoui is one of the names under consideration while the club has previously held an interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong. A source has told ESPN that the 26-year-old Morocco international will be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena if Bayern's valuation is met.

United have signed 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro from Lille, but remain open to further defensive additions during the window.

There is still interest in Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, although the German side are demanding a fee of more than £42 million.

United will consider offers for Wan-Bissaka, who has been the subject of interest from Galatasaray and West Ham United, and are hoping to return a fee of around £20m. The 26-year-old has one year left on his contract at Old Trafford.

Wan-Bissaka is likely to be part of the United squad which travels to Los Angeles on Wednesday for the start of their preseason tour with matches against Arsenal and Real Betis.

United are set to take a reduced number of staff to the U.S. amid plans to cut around 250 jobs from the workforce. A number of staff who have been told their jobs are at risk have been taken off the tour with the cost-cutting drive, led by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, set to accelerate.

United declined to comment when asked about the staff reductions.

FENERBAHCE WALK OFF FIRST MINUTE TO FORFEIT TURKISH SUPER CUP

AA

Fenerbahce players walked off the pitch after one minute of Sunday's Turkish Super Cup match against Galatasaray, forcing the game to be abandoned and conceding the trophy.

Fenerbahce, who fielded their Under-19 team, withdrew from the rearranged match in Sanliurfa about 1,000 km from Istanbul after Galatasaray's Argentine striker Mauro Icardi scored.

Media reported the club had requested the game be postponed ahead of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal, first leg at Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday but were turned down.

Fenerbahçe president Yıldırım Ali Koç spoke of a "rebellion" in a statement on the club's website, where he detailed alleged injustices going back over the years. "It is time for a 'reset' for Turkish football," Koc said.

Two Fenerbahçe players, İrfan Can Eğribayat and Jayden Oosterwolde, were banned for one match by the Turkish soccer federation last week after a Superlig game against Trabzonspor. Trabzonspor fans had charged onto the pitch after the final whistle. Trabzonspor was ordered to play six games without fans as punishment.

"As the largest sports club in the world, with 30 million fans who embody the national values of their respective countries, we'll continue to stand tall today and in the future, just as we did yesterday," Fenerbahce said on social media Sunday.

The Turkish Super Cup was scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh in December, but was postponed.

Media reported at the time that the two teams would not play the match as Saudi authorities did not allow the players to wear T-shirts featuring the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in the warmup ahead of the evening kickoff.

AURIER MOVES FROM NOTTINGHAM FOREST TO GALATASARAY

Reuters 

 Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier has joined Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray from Premier League Nottingham Forest, both clubs said on Friday.

The 31-year-old defender, currently on international duty in the Africa Cup of Nations, joined Forest in September 2022 and made 41 appearances in all competitions. He has featured 13 times this season.

Forest are 16th in the league standings, two points above the relegation zone.

BAYERN SIGN DEFENDER SACHA BOEY FROM GALATASARAY

Reuters 

 Injury-hit Bayern Munich have signed fullback Sacha Boey from Galatasaray (GSRAY.IS) on a contract until 2028, the German champions said on Sunday.

The 23-year-old former France youth international had joined Galatasaray on four-year contract in 2021 from Stade Rennais. There were no financial details of the Bayern move but German media reported it was worth about 30 million euros.

"Sacha Boey is a very quick and physically very strong right back who puts in a lot of kilometres in each game and does not shy away from a one-on-one," said Bayern sports director Christoph Freund. "He will improve our defensive quality."

MAN UNITED AND SEVILLA TUMBLE OUT OF EUROPEAN COMPETITION AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LOSES

AP Photo 

PARIS (AP) — The Champions League proved too tough for Manchester United and Sevilla. Now, even the consolation Europa League spot is out of reach.

Both teams were eliminated from European competition Tuesday night to finish bottom of their groups.

Three-time Champions League winner United needed to beat Bayern Munich at home and hope for a favorable result in the other Group A game but lost 1-0 to the six-time winner.

Instead, unheralded Danish side Copenhagen qualified in second place after beating Turkish team Galatasaray 1-0 at home. Galatasaray finished third to qualify for the Europa League knockout round playoff above last-place United — which sustained 4-3 losses at Bayern and Copenhagen and conceded 15 goals in six games. It is only the fourth time a Premier League team has finished bottom of its Champions League group.

Earlier on, defending Europa League champion Sevilla — which has won the Europa League seven times — lost 2-1 at Lens to finish bottom of Group B as the French team finished third.

MANCHESTER UNITED 3-3 GALATASARAY | POST MATCH ANALYSIS | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

MAN UNITED SET FOR ANOTHER FIERY MATCH AGAINST GALATASARAY WITH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN PERIL

AP Photo 

If it wasn’t the “Welcome to Hell” signs at the airport, it was the bell boy at the team hotel performing a throat-slitting gesture as the players arrived.

Or the deliberately timed phone calls during the night to disrupt sleep, and the mud and flags thrown at the bus to the stadium.

Or the riot police bundling players down the steps to the locker room with their shields after the match.

Manchester United’s first Champions League match against Galatasaray at the Turkish team’s Ali Sami Yen Stadium has gone down in lore. Thirty years later, United is back in Istanbul and again fighting to stay in the competition — something it failed to do back in 1993.

“It was probably the most intimidating atmosphere I ever played in,” then-United midfielder Bryan Robson has said.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE RESUMES THIS WEEK WITH MUCH AT STAKE FOR ALL TEAMS

GENEVA (AP) — The Champions League group stage moves into the final two rounds of matches on Tuesday with the results also affecting entries to other international competitions this season and next.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Next season’s Champions League. This season’s Europa League knockout rounds. They're are effectively in play right now.

That gives extra incentive even to those teams which have already advanced to the Champions League round of 16 in February — Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Leipzig — to keep pushing for the best possible results. Likewise for the six teams already out of contention: Benfica, Red Star Belgrade, Antwerp, Salzburg, Union Berlin, Young Boys.