Villarreal head coach Inigo Perez has criticised Victor Osimhen following the Spanish side’s 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in a pre-season friendly at Rams Park.
The match was Galatasaray’s final pre-season fixture ahead of the start of the Turkish Super League campaign, but the encounter was overshadowed by several heated moments on the pitch.
Perez opened the scoring for Villarreal from the penalty spot in the third minute before Osimhen quickly restored parity for the Turkish champions two minutes later.
However, Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal back in front before the interval, with the visitors holding on to secure the victory.
Osimhen involved in clash with Mourino
The match became increasingly tense during the first half when Osimhen was involved in a physical confrontation with Villarreal defender Santiago Mourino.
According to TV100, the Nigerian striker and Mourino clashed on the pitch, forcing Galatasaray teammates Baris Alper Yilmaz and Yunus Akgun to intervene and pull Osimhen away.
Referee Kadir Saglam subsequently showed yellow cards to both Osimhen and Mourino following the incident.
The game also saw Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk sent off after receiving two bookable offences. One of the incidents occurred when the first penalty was awarded, with Buruk reportedly sarcastically applauding the referee.
Perez criticises Osimhen and Galatasaray
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Perez was asked about the confrontation involving Osimhen and Mourino and delivered a strong assessment of the incident.
He said:
“There’s not much to say on behalf of football. Because the opposing team didn’t come onto the field to play football, but to fight. Osimhen attacked our player out of nowhere and only got a yellow card.”
Perez’s comments drew attention to the referee’s decision to issue Osimhen only a yellow card, with the Villarreal coach appearing to believe that the punishment did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the confrontation.
The result brings Galatasaray’s pre-season preparations to an end as they now turn their attention to competitive action.
According to TRT Spor, Galatasaray will begin their Turkish Super League campaign against newly promoted Corum FK in the first round of the competition.
Watch the video below:
Victor Osimhen ile Santiago Mourino arasındaki gerilim, hakem Kadir Sağlam’ın yanında bir anda yeniden alevlendi.
Victor Osimhen ile Santiago Mourino sarı kart gördü. 🟨 pic.twitter.com/b81dSD3Hlg
— TV100 (@tv100) August 8, 2026
