Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed he’s still holding out hope for a Premier League title win with the club, but only if Manchester City face sanctions due to their ongoing legal battle.
Manchester City are currently embroiled in a major dispute with the Premier League after being charged with 115 alleged breaches of league rules, including financial misconduct over a four-year period. These charges, issued in February 2023, are now being reviewed by an independent panel in London, a process expected to continue for over two months.
City have consistently denied any wrongdoing, but should they be found guilty of the more serious allegations, they could face significant consequences, including possible expulsion from the Premier League. If that were to happen, the legitimacy of their previous title wins could be called into question.
This possibility has caught the attention of Mourinho, who believes it could result in Manchester United being awarded the 2017/18 Premier League title, a season where City set a historic 100-point record under Pep Guardiola.
During a pre-match press conference ahead of Fenerbahce’s UEFA Europa League clash with Manchester United, Mourinho reflected on his time at Old Trafford and expressed hope for a retroactive title.
“We won the Europa League, finished second in the Premier League,” Mourinho recalled. He added, “We still have a chance to win that league [title] if they [the Premier League] punish Man City. Then they [United] have to pay me the bonus and give me the money.”
In the 2017/18 season, Mourinho’s Manchester United finished a distant second, 19 points behind City, but were the closest competitors in a season where Guardiola’s side set multiple records. Should City face punishment, Mourinho may yet see his team’s runner-up finish re-evaluated.
