Jose Mourinho has joked that he may be in his 80s before Manchester City receive a final punishment after being found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
The former Manchester United manager said the legal process could take so long that he and Corriere dello Sport journalist Ivan Zazzaroni would need “luck” to still be alive when the case is finally concluded.
Mourinho was discussing Manchester City’s guilty verdict in an in-depth interview with the Italian newspaper before returning to the Stadio Olimpico with Real Madrid for their Champions League match on Wednesday night.
He has reason to feel frustrated by the situation. Manchester United finished second behind Manchester City at the end of the 2017-18 season, one of the campaigns covered by the investigation into City’s financial conduct.
The Premier League investigation examined alleged breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
Rather than express anger, Mourinho said he preferred to make light of the lengthy process, which is expected to include appeals after the initial verdict.
“I prefer to laugh about it a bit,” Mourinho told Zazzaroni. “I think there will be a conclusion, but the two of us in our sixties will need luck to still be here when the final sentence comes out. There’s the verdict, then there will be appeals and appeals.”
Mourinho, widely known as ‘The Special One’, continued the joke by suggesting that he could be 80 by the time Manchester City are given a final punishment.
He added that he hoped to still be working as a manager by then, provided he remained in good health.