Jose Mourinho’s former assistant at Man United claims they deserved to beat City to title in 2017-18
Jose Mourinho‘s former assistant Ricardo Formosinho has claimed that Manchester United would have won the Premier League title in the 2017-18 season if rivals Manchester City hadn’t broken Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
United finished in second place that season, 19 points adrift of City, who got a Premier League record 100 points.
As reported by Record, Formosinho said: ‘We weren’t champions, but in a fight with Man City, who did not fulfil, as proved later, FFP. We were runners-up, at a time when, having sporting truth, we would’ve been champions…’.
Ricardo Formoshino (right), who was assistant to Jose Mourinho (left), claims Manchester United would have won the league in 2017-18 if Manchester City didn’t breach FFP rules
In July this year City were cleared of ‘disguising equity funds as sponsorship contributions’ and their Champions League ban was lifted
In February this year City were banned from the Champions League for two years following ‘serious breaches’ of FFP rules between 2012 and 2016.
However, in July City were cleared of ‘disguising equity funds as sponsorship contributions’ and their Champions League ban was lifted.
City had failed to co-operate with UEFA but saw their fine reduced from €30million (£27m) to €10m (£9m).
United finished sixth in Mourinho’s first season in charge in 2016-17, but they failed to build upon finishing second the following year.
City were Premier League winners in 2017-18 and finished 18 points above Manchester United
After leaving United at the same time as Mourinho, Formosinho (second right) later linked up with his compatriot at Tottenham, but he departed his coaching role at the club in August
Mourinho, along with his coaching staff including Formosinho, was dismissed by United in December 2018 with his side sixth in the table and 19 points adrift of Liverpool, who led the table at the time.
Formosinho was assistant to Mourinho for the entirety of his spell at Old Trafford between 2016 and 2018.
During his time as United boss Mourinho won the Europa League and the League Cup in 2017.
When Mourinho took charge of Tottenham last year he again named Formosinho as part of his coaching staff but the latter departed in August. The pair had previously worked together at Real Madrid when Formosinho was part of the club’s scouting department.
