Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has said that he could yet be handed a Premier League winners' medal for Manchester United's 2017-18 campaign, when the Red Devils finished second behind Manchester City.
Mourinho guided Man United to a second-place finish in England's top flight in 2017-18, 19 points behind the champions Man City, but the Citizens could potentially be stripped of that title, and a number of others, if they are found guilty of breaching financial rules.
Man City are facing 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009 and 2018, and Mourinho, who is now in charge of Fenerbahce, has speculated whether he could have another medal coming his way.
"That was a difference in relation to me, we won the Europa League and finished second in the Premier League. I think we still have a chance to win that league, maybe they punish Manchester City with points, we win that league. They have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal," Mourinho said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The Portuguese is currently preparing for the visit of his former club on Thursday night, with Man United heading to Turkey to tackle Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
Mourinho 'wishes the best' for Man United
Mourinho was in charge of Man United between May 2016 and December 2018, winning the EFL Cup, Community Shield and Europa League during his time at the club, and the 61-year-old has said that he holds no ill feelings towards the English giants.
"Honestly I didn't lose one minute thinking about it. I wish the best to Manchester United since the moment I left. I left with a good feeling for the club and its fans and I want the best for them," he added.
"If things aren't going amazingly well for them, it's not something that makes me happy. But I have no time, it doesn't make sense for me to be thinking about what happened, what didn't happen.
"What happened for sure is that they now keep faith in the coach [Erik ten Hag], supporting the coach, who is staying season after season. That means stability and means trust, giving him conditions to keep his job."
Mourinho claims Man United, Tottenham are Europa League favourites
Mourinho also said that two of his former clubs, Man United and Tottenham Hotspur, are the favourites to win this season's Europa League despite both having their issues at domestic level.
"If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it's easy - Manchester United and Tottenham," said the Portuguese.
"The Premier League is a different level of quality, intensity, pace, tactical culture - a different level of everything. Tomorrow, I think we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.
"Maybe you English guys think I'm bluffing, playing mind-games. I'm not playing anything - they have a better team than results are showing. I studied them the maximum I could. We watched everything in the Premier League, [and previous Europa League games against] Twente and Porto - there is work there.
"They will succeed sooner or later. Hopefully sooner and before one day I go back to the Premier League and they become my opponents. At this moment they are just my opponents for one match."
Man United have picked up two points from their two Europa League matches this season to occupy 21st spot in the table, while Fenerbahce are 13th, having claimed four points from their first two games. body check tags ::
