Jose Mourinho takes dig at Man City ban by calling Man United as 2017-18 champions

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has jokingly enquired if United would be crowned as the Premier League 2017-2018 champions. Manchester City were recently banned for two seasons by UEFA across all UEFA Competitions. The club had violated Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, according to UEFA’s verdict.

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Man City ban: Former Man United boss Jose Mourinho jokes on the ban

Ironically, Jose Mourinho was the manager of Man United, guiding the Red Devils to a second-place finish in the Premier League in the 2017-18 season. Man United had finished 19 points behind the subsequent champions Manchester City. This compelled Jose Mourinho to take a jibe at Pep Guardiola's side after the UEFA verdict.

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Man City ban: Club would face points deduction in Premier League

England’s top-flight abide by UEFA regulations with a points deduction verdict on the cards. Manchester City would also try to ensure that the UEFA decision is overturned. If Premier League does decide to deduct City’s points in the tournament, then City would find it difficult to secure a spot in the Champions League next season, despite any favourable decision for them.

Jose Mourinho speaks after Spurs' victory

While speaking to the media after Spurs’ victory against Aston Villa, Mourinho commented that he didn't lose one single minute analysing what UEFA had to analyse. He also questioned if the team that finished second in 2018 would be declared the Premier League winners.

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Man City ban: Club holds crisis meeting with first-team players

Manchester City held a crisis meeting with the first-team players soon after UEFA’s verdict. The verdict is likely to impact the club’s revenues, which would have a direct bearing on the players’ wages. Amid the ban controversy, there have been reports of major players reconsidering their stay at Etihad. Midfielder Bernardo Silva has hinted that he would like to return to Benfica. He had played for the Portuguese side since his move to Ligue 1 side Monaco in 2014. Man City striker Sergio Aguero is linked with a move to LaLiga. It is reported that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are interested in signing the player.

Also Read | Jose Mourinho happy with former Chelsea captain John Terry's decision

Why are Man City banned? 

Man City were banned by UEFA from European competitions for the next two seasons. The club was found to be violating UEFA's FFP regulations. However, City have made it clear that they would appeal against the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sports.