JOSE MOURINHO fumed that Uefa’s Financial Fair Play initiative is dead after Manchester City escaped their two-year Champions League ban.
Pep Guardiola’s side won their appeal against Uefa but were still fined £9million by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Jose Mourinho fumed at the decision to uphold Man City’s banCredit: PA:Press Association
It left the Portuguese boss scratching his head how CAS came to the “disgraceful decision” because he believes City must have been guilty if they were forced to pay a fine.
Ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Newcastle, he said: “Maybe they’re a victim, maybe they did nothing wrong and they’re a victim of paying so many millions for nothing. Maybe they are the victims.
“I think it’s going to be the end of financial fair play, because there is no point, and I repeat, and it’s the only thing I repeat because it’s clear in my mind.
“If City is not guilty, the decision is a disgrace. If City is guilty the decision is also a disgrace.”
Mourinho believes the decision will turn the transfer market into an “open circus” with clubs now paying little attention to monitoring FFP.
He added: “I would like to see City considered not guilty, and not pay one single pound.
“Or to be considered guilty, and to be banned.
“But, in this moment we are speaking about Man City.
“But in the past, other clubs were in a similar situation, and you know the results of it.
“So I think it’s better to open the circus door, and let everybody enjoy. And go inside for free, come out, go inside again, do it with freedom.”
When quizzed on whether Spurs will adopt a less pragmatic approach in the transfer market, Mourinho said the club will continue to work as usual.
He said: “Spurs is Spurs, and I don’t think Spurs change its mentality which in many aspects is more than correct.
“I am happy with the way we think here and for me that’s just it.”
“If City is not guilty, the decision is a disgrace. If City is guilty the decision is also a disgrace.”
Jose Mourinho
Guardiola had his own response to Mourinho, hitting out at his old foe by claiming his club are owed an apology.
He said: “Jose and other managers should know, we were damaged, we should be apologised to.
“If we did something wrong, we will accept the decisions from UEFA and CAS because you did something wrong.
“We don’t expect Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Wolves etc, to defend us, but we can defend ourselves.
“We have the right to defend ourselves when we believe what we have done is correct. It’s right. Three independent judges said this.
Pep Guardiola believes his side are owed an apologyCredit: PA:Press Association
“It was a good day for football as we play with the same rules as all the club s in Europe, if we’d broke the rules we’d be banned.
“We were damaged. The people say we cheated were lying – and many times.
“The presumption of innocence wasn’t there and after it was right so of course now we are incredibly happy because we can defend what we’ve done on the pitch.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp blasts decision to overturn Man City’s Champions League ban as ‘not a good day for football’
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
