Jose Mourinho, the outspoken former manager of Manchester United, hasn’t let go of the dream of seeing his old team crowned Premier League champions for the 2017-18 season. The current Fenerbahce manager, who faces a reunion with United in the Europa League on Thursday, believes the Red Devils might still claim the title if their rivals, Manchester City, are found guilty of violating the league’s financial rules and stripped of their victory.
With a mischievous grin, Mourinho remarked, “I think we still have a chance to win that league because maybe they punish Man City with points and maybe we win that league and they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”
The drama unfolds as City faces over 100 charges spanning nine years, covering the period when they were establishing themselves as a dominant force in English football. The league’s regulations outline a range of potential penalties, including fines, points deductions, and even expulsion from the Premier League.
Mourinho led United to second place in the 2017-18 season, finishing a significant 19 points behind City, who are currently under investigation for providing misleading financial information between 2009-18. City’s dominance in English football was fuelled by the acquisition of some of the world’s top players, including Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, and Kevin de Bruyne, after the club was purchased by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi in 2008.
Despite this fierce competition, Mourinho, a two-time Champions League winner with Porto and Inter Milan, as well as a league champion in Portugal, Italy, Spain, and England, considers United’s runner-up finish in the 2017-18 season as one of his career’s most notable achievements. During his two-and-a-half-year spell at United, he also secured the Europa League and English League Cup titles.
Mourinho joined Fenerbahce in June with the aim of ending a 10-year wait for the Turkish championship after leaving Roma in January. Fenerbahce currently sits fourth in its domestic league after eight matches.
United will be missing their captain, Bruno Fernandes, for the Europa League match against Fenerbahce. He is serving a one-game ban after accumulating two yellow cards and being sent off in the previous Europa League game against Porto, the club Mourinho guided to the UEFA Cup title in 2003.