Jose Mourinho claims he will be 80 by end of Man City case

José Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has joked that he might be an octogenarian by the time the legal battle surrounding Manchester City’s alleged financial breaches is finally resolved.

The Portuguese manager made the comments during an interview with Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, which was subsequently carried by ESPN.

Mourinho, who currently manages Real Madrid, used his trademark dry humour to address the ongoing dispute between the Premier League and the reigning champions.

An independent panel recently found City guilty on 114 of their 115 allegations, though the club has already lodged an appeal.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport about the prospect of a lengthy legal process, Mourinho said:

“I’d rather have a bit of a laugh about it…”

The 63-year-old suggested that a final resolution is unlikely to happen anytime soon, given the complexity of the case.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho added:

“Being in my 60s, I’ll have to be lucky enough still to be here when the final verdict arrives.”

With the appeals process expected to drag on, the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss believes he will be much older before the saga concludes.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho joked:

“Now a ruling will come, then an appeal… I’ll be 80!”

Personal history in the title race

Mourinho’s interest in the outcome of the case is not purely academic, as he has a significant personal connection to the years under investigation.

The most severe financial infractions identified by the panel span from 2009 until 2018, a period that includes Pep Guardiola’s first Premier League title win.

During that 2017-18 campaign, City became the inaugural top-flight side to accumulate 100 points, leaving Mourinho’s Manchester United in second place.

United accumulated 81 points that year, which remains their strongest domestic finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but they still finished 19 points behind their rivals.

A retrospective winners’ medal

Back in 2024, Mourinho jokingly suggested that he could still be awarded the 2017-18 Premier League title if City were retrospectively stripped of their crown.

He even joked that United would owe him a winners’ medal alongside the financial bonus linked to securing the title.

While there is currently no suggestion that previous titles will be stripped or redistributed, the overlap adds an intriguing footnote to his comments.

Five of the six championships won under Guardiola occurred after the timeframe of the chief infractions had concluded, leaving the 2017-18 season as the sole exception.

What happens next for City

City formally appealed the independent commission’s verdict on October 1, claiming they have irrefutable proof of their innocence.

The appeal is set to be assessed by a fresh three-member independent panel, with top-flight regulations dictating that a verdict should ideally be handed down within 12 weeks.

However, that timeline can be waived, and the matter could eventually proceed to the High Court if the club can demonstrate significant flaws in the league’s legal procedures.

The Premier League has stated that the proceedings will be kept strictly confidential until the official release of the decision is authorized.