Jose Mourinho playfully suggested he might get a Premier League winners’ medal from his time as Manchester United manager if Manchester City are stripped of their title.
The outspoken Portuguese managed the Red Devils between mid-2016 and late 2018, masterminding Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield glory in his first season.
United reached the FA Cup final in his second campaign and finished as runners-up to neighbours City in the Premier League – something he later claimed was among the best achievements of his career.
Five years on from making that statement, he is preparing to lead Fenerbahce against his former club in the Europa League, and mischievously suggested that the second-placed finish in 2017-18 could yet be upgraded.
City, who won the title by 19 points that season, are in the midst of a hearing examining 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, with some dating back as far as the 2009-10 season.
Asked if United have changed since he left, Mourinho said: “Honestly, I didn’t lose one minute thinking about it. I wish the best to Man United since the moment I left.
“I left with a good feeling to the club, with a good feeling to the fans and I want the best for them, so if things are not going amazingly well for them it’s not something that makes me happy.
“But at the same time, I have no time and it doesn’t make sense for me to be thinking about what happened, what didn’t happen.
“What happened, for sure, because it’s very objective, is that they keep faith in the coach (Erik ten Hag), they support the coach, the coach is staying season after season and that means stability, it means trust.
“They are giving him conditions to keep developing his job. That was different in relation to me because, as you know, we won Europa League, we finished second in the Premier League.
“I think we still have a chance to win that league because maybe they punish Man City with points and maybe we win that league and they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”
Mourinho smirked as he ended that answer at a packed press conference in a cramped room at Fenerbahce’s training ground, where the ex-Chelsea and Tottenham boss was at his box-office best.
From having a dig at local TV rights-holders about their coverage to joking about newspaper coverage of his plush hotel lifestyle in Istanbul, the 61-year-old enjoyed the limelight and left onlookers to read between the lines with some answers.
Mourinho did not criticise under-fire United boss Ten Hag as he talked up the quality at his disposal, with the Portuguese’s fondness for his old club and Premier League life palpable as he called for Fenerbahce’s fans to make it 35,000 v 11 on Thursday.
“Maybe you English guys think I’m bluffing, you think I am playing how they used to call it ‘mind games’ or whatever,” the Fenerbahce boss said. “I’m not playing anything.
“They have a better team than the results are showing. Of course, I study them the maximum I could with my staff, my analysts. We watch everything in the Premier League, watch everything in the two matches – Twente and Porto.
“There is work there. They will succeed sooner or later, hopefully sooner and hopefully before one day I go back to the Premier League and they become my opponent.”
The warmth extends in particular to United great Sir Alex Ferguson, who it was revealed last week will be stepping away from his reported £2million-a-year ambassadorial role with the club at the end of the campaign.
“My relationship with Sir Alex was amazing, incredible,” Mourinho said. “And when my Netflix documentary comes out you will know more about the reason why I have so much respect for him.
“The ambassadorial role I really don’t know in depth the situation, but it doesn’t matter why, doesn’t matter what.
“Sir Alex has the most important thing, which is the love and the respect of every Man United fan around the world.
“And that is more important than the ambassadorial role, it’s more important than a few pounds that he can make and he doesn’t need.
“The most important thing is the love and the respect that every Man United fan has for him.”
