Mourinho Mocks Man City Financial Case Timeline: “I’ll Be 80!”

José Mourinho has joked that he could be 80 years old before Manchester City’s financial case reaches a final conclusion, highlighting his frustration with the lengthy legal process surrounding the Premier League champions.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport on Thursday, the Real Madrid manager said he preferred to laugh about the situation rather than dwell on how long it might take to resolve.

“I’d rather have a bit of a laugh about it. Being in my 60s, I’ll have to be lucky enough still to be here when the final verdict arrives. Now a ruling will come, then an appeal… I’ll be 80!” Mourinho said.

The case concerns alleged financial rule breaches by Manchester City over a period spanning 2009 to 2018. An independent commission found the club guilty of serious Premier League financial rule breaches, while City have lodged an appeal against the findings.

Mourinho’s comments come amid continued attention on the case, which has drawn scrutiny across English football because of the number of alleged breaches and the lengthy process involved in reaching a final resolution.

In the same interview, Mourinho also spoke about former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is now in charge of Brazil’s national team, joking about the Italian’s continued presence around the Spanish club.

“I told Carlo Ancelotti that I’m sick of him!” Mourinho said. “Every day walking through the hallway at Real Madrid, there is photos of Carlo here, photos of Carlo there. I am fed up, come on!”

Mourinho explained that Ancelotti had recently asked for permission to visit Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground to check on Brazilian players Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Endrick.

Despite his teasing remarks, Mourinho praised Ancelotti’s character, describing him as “a gentleman, a great guy”.

The Portuguese manager also addressed his long-running disagreements with referees, rejecting the suggestion that he was responsible for the recurring controversies.

“To be fair, I don’t believe I am the problem,” he said. “I think the problem is bad luck… and arriving at certain times to certain clubs.”