Jose Mourinho aimed a dig at Manchester City and his old rival Pep Guardiola, saying he still hasn’t given up hope of pocketing a bonus for winning the title with Manchester United if their neighbours are punished for breaking financial rules.
In a typically entertaining and mischievous press conference, Mourinho also turned up the heat on Erik ten Hag by making United favourites to win the Europa League before they face his Fenerbahce side in Istanbul on Thursday night – and claiming the Dutchman has been given more chance than him to succeed at Old Trafford.
The 61-year-old arrived tossing signed Fenerbahce shirts like garlands to his favourite British journalists, and left clasping their hands and offering up his £1,000-a-night suite after Mail Sport revealed details of his life at the Four Seasons Hotel here.
The highlight of a 28-minute tour de force from the Portuguese was his comment relating to the 115 charges facing City, who beat United to win the Premier League in 2018.
‘As you know, we won the Europa League and we finished second in the Premier League,’ he said.
Jose Mourinho claimed that if Manchester City are retroactively stripped of the 2017-18 title then he could be in line for a Premier League winners medal and a bonus
Pep Guardiola’s side romped to a record-breaking 100 points in the 2017-18 – finishing 19 ahead of United
‘I think we still have a chance to win that league because if they punish Man City with points maybe we win that league and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal!’
The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager also hinted at a return to the Premier League as he wished his old club United all the best.
‘I will always repeat the same thing: I want them to be successful,’ he added. ‘I left with a good feeling to the club. So if things are not going amazingly well for them, it’s not something that makes me happy.
‘Maybe you think I’m bluffing or mind games, I’m not playing anything. They will succeed sooner or later, hopefully sooner and maybe one day I go back to the Premier League.’
However, Mourinho was being typically mischievous when he compared the two-and-a-half-year spells he and Ten Hag have had at United.
Mourinho joined Fenerbahce as manager over the summer and prepares to face his former club
The Dutchman is under pressure after a poor start in the Premier League and back-to-back draws with FC Twente and Porto in the Europa League.
‘What’s happened for sure is they keep faith in the coach, they support the coach,’ he said. ‘The coach is staying season after season, and that means stability. It means trust and they are giving him conditions to keep developing his job. That was different in relation to me.
‘They didn’t win and didn’t lose (in the Europa League). To play in Porto is not easy for anybody. Of course, the world expects Man United to beat Twente at Old Trafford.
‘But this new format will allow the top teams to qualify. Which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League? It’s easy: Man United and Tottenham.
‘I’m not the coach of Man United, but I don’t see any reason for them to be afraid of Fenerbahce. We cannot play 11 v 11, we need 35,000 (fans) behind us.’
Mourinho also offered his opinion on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s decision to withdraw Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2million-a-year contract as an ambassador, saying: ‘Sir Alex has the most important thing: the love and respect of every Manchester United fan around the world. That is more important than the ambassadorial role or a few pounds he can make.’
Having called out a Turkish TV station for what he feels is unfair coverage of his team, Mourinho left to much hand-shaking and back-slapping as he brought up Mail Sport’s special report on his life in Istanbul.
‘You know where I live and what I eat,’ he joked. ‘Do you need my bedroom? I’ll give you my card. You can sleep there tonight and tomorrow because I’m staying here.’
