Mourinho jokes he may not live to see Man City verdict after guilty ruling

José Mourinho has taken a sardonic swipe at the pace of Manchester City’s disciplinary process, joking that neither he nor his interviewer may live long enough to see a final verdict after the Premier League found City guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges last week.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho said: “I prefer to laugh a little, because I think we’ll have an ending. We will have an ending. But the two of us, who are nearing 60, should be lucky enough to be here when the final verdict is delivered. Because now the sentence will come, and after a year, there will be an appeal.”

The Premier League confirmed last week that an independent commission had found City guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club for financial breaches spanning several years. City moved quickly to contest the outcome, lodging a formal appeal on Thursday 1 October 2026.

In a statement, the club said the commission’s opinion “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe,” adding that “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions.”

The appeal will be heard by a separate three-person independent panel, with a final decision expected by mid-January. Potential sanctions — should the original guilty verdict stand — range from points deductions and fines to the stripping of titles or expulsion from the Premier League, though no punishment has yet been determined.

Mourinho is among several managers to have publicly commented on the case since the verdict was announced. His remarks reflect a broader frustration in football circles at the length of time the proceedings have taken, with the original charges first brought by the Premier League in February 2023.

City have consistently maintained their innocence throughout the process and say they will “respect due process” while remaining restricted in what they can publicly disclose until all proceedings are complete.