Jose Mourinho at centre of leaked WhatsApp controversy as Fenerbahce issue emergency statement

Fenerbahce have been forced to issue a statement after a Turkish Football Federation committee's board of directors resigned over a refereeing controversy involving Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho was given a four-match ban in February after he made what the TFF deemed to be 'derogatory and offensive statements' about Turkish referees following a 0-0 draw with Galatasaray.

Earlier in the season season, he claimed Fenerbahce officials had not told him 'the whole truth' about match referees in Turkish football. and said: "With half of the truth and my boys, we fight opponents and the system."

He publicly stated that he didn't want VAR official Atilla Karaoglan to be involved in Fenerbahce matches 'ever again' after he made a controversial decision using the technology.

And Mourinho referred to another official as 'just a little boy that was there on the pitch'.

In recent days, an alleged WhatsApp conversation involving members of the TFF's disciplinary committee board has been 'leaked' on social media.

The conversation relates to Mourinho's comments after the February draw with Galatasaray, with the president of the committee, Celal Nuri Demirturk, allegedly writing: "We will make him pay for this next season. He has been tolerated too much."

Unsurprisingly, despite the mass resignations, the 'leaked' conversation has not gone down well with Fenerbahce, who claim that the message 'clearly violates the principle of impartiality'.

The statement reads: "Our club has made an official application to Turkish Football Federation in response to the correspondence that has been made public today and is claimed to belong to members of the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.

"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."

Fener general secretary Burak Kizilhan said: "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.

"For individuals who serve on one of the most important boards with the duty to establish justice in Turkish football to be involved in such statements would render the concept of 'discipline' ineffective and constitute a clear attack on the principles of impartiality and equality."