Jose Mourinho has joked that he will be lucky to still be alive when the final ruling is handed down on the charges against Manchester City.
Last month, City was found guilty of 114 violations of the Premier League’s financial rules.
the The Premier League confirmed in a statement on September 29 That, following an independent panel’s ruling, City were found guilty of all but one of the charges of financial impropriety brought against the club.
Among the breaches was the creation of “sham” contracts to help inflate revenues and cut costs by more than £900m over a nine-year period covering the 2009-10 season through to the 2017-18 season.
City have appealed the decision, but if it is upheld, they could face a penalty that could lead to them losing their place in the Premier League. Point deductions leading to the club’s relegation and exclusion from the Premier League have been mooted as possible penalties, while many have called for City to be stripped of the silverware won in the period in question.
Real Madrid coach Mourinho led Manchester United to second place behind City in the 2017-18 season. The Red Devils finished this season 19 points behind the team coached by Pep Guardiola, who left the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season.
Mourinho has previously described finishing second as one of the greatest achievements of his career.
But, with the independent panel reaching its decision more than three years after charges were first brought against City, Mourinho does not expect to know soon whether he will be awarded a fourth Premier League title retrospectively.
He was asked about this issue in an interview with Corriere dello Sport“I prefer to laugh a little, because I think we will have an end,” Mourinho said.
“We will have an end. But both of us (Mourinho and the interviewer), who are approaching 60 years old, should be lucky enough to be here when the final ruling comes. Because now the ruling will come, and after a year, there will be an appeal.”
City confirmed its appeal last week.
A club statement read: “Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1 October 2026, the club lodged a comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Committee, in relation to a Premier League disciplinary matter.”
“The club’s consistent position is that, for various reasons, the opinion contains clear material errors, in law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
He added: “The club is innocent of the accusations made by the English Premier League, and there is a comprehensive body of compelling evidence to support all of its positions regarding this issue.”
He added: “We will continue to respect due process, and we are necessarily restricted in what we can say more until all procedures are completed.”
