Jose Mourinho has mocked the financial case against Manchester City, joking that he may be eighty years old before the English club learns its final fate.
City have been found guilty of serious financial breaches following the biggest disciplinary case in Premier League history. The charges relate to a period of around nine years, between 2009 and 2018.
The Real Madrid manager reckons the legal battle could drag on so long that he might not be alive to see how it ends.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport in comments carried by The Sun, he said: "Manchester City? I prefer to have a little laugh about it."
He continued: "I think we will reach an outcome, but since I'm in my sixties, I'll have to be lucky enough to still be around when the final verdict is delivered."
Mourinho added: "A verdict will be delivered now, then there will be an appeal. And I'll be eighty years old."
City's appeal has added a fresh chapter to a case that has shaken English football, with the club fighting to overturn the verdict and clear its name.
Harsh sporting and financial penalties now loom. City face a significant points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League.
They could also be stripped of their titles. Such a penalty might even hand Mourinho another Premier League crown, having finished second with Manchester United in the 2017-2018 season.