Mourinho lays into Man City charges timeline with Premier League joke

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has joked that there is still a long way to go before the final outcome of the charges that are brought against Manchester City - so much so that he'll be lucky to be alive by the time the case is actually complete. The Premier League confirmed last week that City had been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges that were brought against the club for financial breaches.

City maintain their innocence and confirmed last Friday that an appeal had been submitted, as they continue to assert that they have "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" that would clear them of any wrongdoing.

The appeal is expected to run until later this year, with another three-person independent panel overseeing the process before coming to a final decision - which should arrive by mid-January.

It remains to be seen what punishment could be given to City if the original decision made before the appeal stands, with potential outcomes ranging from points deductions and a fine, to titles being stripped or expulsion from the Premier League.

Mourinho has become the latest manager to speak about the charges brought against City, and has joked that it will still be a long time before the final outcome is reached.

"I prefer to laugh a little, because I think we'll have an ending," Mourinho said in an interview with Corriere dello Sport.

"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."

City continue to deny the charges that have been brought against them, and issued a statement last week confirming that an appeal had been submitted.

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"Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the club lodged its comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter," the statement from City read.

"The club's firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.

"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.

"We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete."