Jose Mourinho gives the most Jose Mourinho response ever when asked about Man City charges

Jose Mourinho has joked that he could be 80 years old by the time Manchester City's legal battle with the Premier League is over.

An independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period between 2009 and 2018.

City have since appealed the guilty verdict, maintaining their innocence and insisting they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their position.

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The Premier League regulations state that an appeal hearing should conclude within 12 weeks of it being heard, and a decision communicated within 30 days of that, although that timeframe can change if deemed necessary.

However, like the rest of us, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho had spent years waiting for a verdict before the Premier League finally dropped its bombshell statement last month.

Jose Mourinho gives his take on Man City charges case

With City now appealing the decision, Mourinho is bracing himself for another lengthy wait. "I would rather laugh about it," he told Corriere dello Sport, after being asked for his thoughts on the case.

"I think we will eventually get an ending, but we are both in our 60s and we'll need to be lucky enough to still be around when the final verdict arrives. There will be a verdict, then appeals, then more appeals."

Jose Mourinho's Manchester United finished second in the 2017-18 Premier League season behind City. Image credit: Getty

Speaking to Canal 11 last year, Mourinho suggested those who break financial rules should "pay in points" before claiming that Manchester United should have won the Premier League in 2017-18.

"There's a critical moment at that club, not only with Sir Alex's departure, but also with David Gill's. David Moyes came in, but when my Netflix documentary comes out, the story will be told," he began.

"I'll arrive later, and when I arrive, I'll arrive at a club still going through that period. We won several things, we finished second in the league. I still say I don't understand clubs that are punished with financial fair play and pay [in cash]."

Mourinho added: "I think they should pay points. Manchester City was punished, and legally, we should have won the league. But it wasn't enough for me to have stability, continuity."

Can Manchester City be stripped of Premier League titles? And would Jose Mourinho benefit?

One of the big discussion points over the past few years has been the potential ramifications for other clubs if City are proven guilty of the charges they face.

Mourinho brought up the 115 charges ahead of a Europa League clash between Fenerbahce and former club United in October 2024, and here, he mentioned the prospect of winning a Premier League winners' medal.

“As you know, we finished second in the Premier League [in 2018]," said Mourinho with a grin.

"I think we still have a chance to win that league because maybe they punish Manchester City with points, and maybe we win that league and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”

According to sub-clause W.51.7 in the Premier League handbook, the commission can “impose upon the respondent any combination of the foregoing or such other penalty as it shall think fit", a rule that leaves the door open for City to be stripped of their titles.