Sir Alex Ferguson, over the course of his legendary coaching career, won a whopping 49 titles, the most trophies by a manager in football.

The Scottish manager began his management career with East Stirling, at the age of 32. It was short-lived as he signed on his first full-time job with St Mirren in October 1974. It was during this time that he won his first title - Scottish Football League First Division in 1977.

Following his first and only managerial sack in 1978, Alex Ferguson joined Aberdeen. With three top-flight titles, four Scottish Cups, and triumphs in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup, the Scotsman built up a repertoire and soon enough English giants Manchester United came calling.

In 1986, Sir Alex Ferguson left Scotland to join United, replacing Ron Atkinson. Four years into his stint as MUFC boss, Ferguson won the FA Cup in 1990 and followed it up with a FA Charity/Community Shield (shared with Liverpool), UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup (both in 1990-91).

Ferguson ended Manchester United’s 26-year wait for a top-flight title in the inaugural Premier League season of 1992/93, and went on to win a record 13 Premier League titles until his retirement at the end of the 2012/13 campaign.

In his trophy-laden career as Red Devils boss, Alex Ferguson won five FA Cups, four League Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. He also won the season-opener Community Shield nine times.

Most trophies by a manager in football

Manager	Manager career	Trophies
Sir Alex Ferguson	1974-2013	49
Mircea Lucescu	1979-present	36
Pep Guardiola	2008-present	31
Valeriy Lobanovskyi	1969-2002	29
Jock Stein	1960-1985	26
Jose Mourinho	2000-present	26

Mircea Lucescu, 76, is the second-most manager in football history. The Romanian took his first steps into management as a player-coach of the now-dissolved FC Corvinul Hunedoara în 1979, and led them to the Liga II title in 1979�?0.

His first major job as head coach was when he was appointed Romania’s manager in 1981. As Lucescu was in his final year in charge of the national team, he signed his first contract as a full-time club manager when he joined Dinamo București in 1985.

After winning three trophies (two Cupa României, one Divizia A), Mircea Lucescu won two trophies across two managerial spells in Italy (1990-1996, 1999).

On either side of his brief term as Inter Milan coach, Lucescu sat in the hot seat at Rapid București and won three trophies.

Mircea Lucescu would later spend his time as manager in Turkey, where he won the league title with Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. He also won the UEFA Super Cup with Galatasaray.

However, his most productive spell as a manager came after joining Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk. In his 12 years at the helm, the Romanian won eight league titles, seven Super Cups, six Cups and the 2008-09 UEFA Cup before it would be rechristened as the UEFA Europa League.

After winning a trophy with Zenit Saint Petersburg and two years as Turkey national team coach, Mircea Lucescu joined Dynamo Kyiv in 2020 and has won three titles since.

Lucescu’s haul of 36 titles, however, is likely to be surpassed by current Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola. One of the most successful coaches in the modern era, Guardiola is third on the list of most trophies won by a manager in football history with 31 titles.

The Spaniard’s trophy-laden spell began with his boyhood club Barcelona, where he won the Division trophy with Barcelona’s B team in June 2007. The following year he was thrust into senior management and quickly shot to stardom by winning the club’s first-ever treble - UEFA Champions League, LaLiga and Copa del Rey.

In four seasons as Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola won 14 trophies across six different competitions before signing as Bayern Munich’s coach after taking a break in the 2012-13 season.

At Bayern, Guardiola bagged three Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Currently at Manchester City, the Spanish manager has won ten trophies including three Premier League titles.

Valeriy Lobanovskyi (29 trophies) and Jock Stein (26 trophies) complete the top-five list for most trophies won by a manager in football.

Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti are the notable mentions for most trophies won by a manager in football. Ancelotti, with 22 titles, is the first manager to win a league title in each of the five major European Leagues (Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and La Liga). He recently led Real Madrid to their 35th La Liga title.

Mourinho, on the other hand, is the first football manager to win all three UEFA club competitions after his AS Roma team beat Feyenoord 1-0 to win the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League.

The Portuguese manager, who began his coaching career with Benfica in 2000, has 26 trophies to his name.

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / ANDREW YATES

Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jose Mourinho has been announced as the new manager of Serie A side AS Roma. The Portuguese manager will take charge of the Italian side from the 2021-22 season. 

"After meetings with the ownership, I immediately understood their ambitions for Roma," said Mourinho.

"Together we want to build a winning project. The incredible passion of the fans convinced me to accept the job. I can't wait to start next season. Daje Roma!"

The 58-year-old was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur on April 19 after a string of poor results and it didn't take long for him to land a new job. Despite being criticised for his style of play in recent times, the Portuguese coach remains a well-known figure in Italy where he guided Inter to a historic treble in the 2009-10 season. He has signed a three-year deal with Roma.

Jose Mourinho will return to Serie A next season as Roma manager for the first time since leading Inter to the European treble in 2009/10

The last side to defeat Mourinho's Inter in Serie A were... Roma pic.twitter.com/oZjgx6pHxE

�?WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 4, 2021

“The club are delighted to announce an agreement has been reached with Jose Mourinho for him to become our new head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season," AS Roma wrote on Twitter.

José Mourinho has signed his ‘top secret�?contract until June 2024 with AS Roma yesterday. He strongly wanted to return in Italy.

Sarri was never an option: the only contact with AS Roma was in January. Mourinho was chosen by the Portuguese sports director Tiago Pinto.

�?Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 4, 2021

Mourinho's departure from Tottenham was the first instance in his managerial career where he failed to win a trophy. During his stint with Manchester United, he guided the Red Devils to the EFL Cup glory as well as the UEFA Europa League title. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has rebuffed the claims that former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri was Roma's first choice. He has said that there was contact between the two parties in January, but Mourinho's availability made Roma move for the Portuguese.

As for Roma, they are seventh in the Serie A table and are 14 points outside of the Champions League spots.

Meanwhile, Mourinho's appointment as AS Roma manager would mean a reunion with Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The duo played under the Portuguese during his time at Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan seeing Mourinho appointed as the new manager of Roma pic.twitter.com/U0XW3myKLE

�?�?(@TheFergusonWay) May 4, 2021

The news was certain to cause an uproar on Twitter and this is how the fans are reacting to it:

José Mourinho new Roma manager is definitely the managerial news of the year.

And also, the most surprising I would say

�?Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) May 4, 2021

Jose Mourinho back in Serie A is the perfect match again in terms of the culture, the drama, politics, the constant friction and the chaos in the division. The man is made for Calcio and it's drama, in many ways.

It's the place where we love mavericks.

�?Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) May 4, 2021

Jose Mourinho appointed Roma coach a day after they announce the renovation of the Colosseum. One is a crumbling monument that once inspired awe but that's best days are well behind it and the other is the Colosseum send tweet

�?Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) May 4, 2021

At last, an eternal job for Jose Mourinho. http://t.co/Fz28OHcOrs

�?Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 4, 2021

Jose Mourinho back in Italy and trying to take down his former club, Inter, coached by Antonio Conte, who just took down his former club, Juventus.

Nobody does storylines like Serie A.

�?Nicky Bandini (@NickyBandini) May 4, 2021

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho took another dig at the Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, saying that he is undeserving of the FIFA Best Men's Coach award.

Mourinho's comments come days after his infamous quote of 'the best team lost' after his Tottenham side left the Anfield with a 2-1 defeat. The former Manchester United and Chelsea manager was asked about his thoughts on Klopp's award, and he said the Bayern Munich manager, Hans-Dieter Flick, should have gotten the recognition instead.

"I think the only chance for Flick to win is if Bayern find two or three new competitions for him to win," the Spurs boss said, per Daily Mail.

"So maybe if he wins seven titles in one season, maybe he wins the award.

"I believe he only won Champions League, the Bundesliga, German Cup, European Super Cup and German Super Cup.

"He only won five, including the biggest one of all. Poor Flick. I think the only chance is for Bayern to find two or three more trophies to see if he can win it."

In all fairness, Flick rightly deserved to be named the FIFA Best Men's Coach of the year as he literally won more trophies (five) than the games his Bayer side lost (three). Klopp, on his part, was left amused too. "I don't know why people voted for me," the Liverpool manager said. "Flick deserved it for his titles."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Kirsty Wigglesworth, Jon Super

“When you are favourites, you know why you are favourites.�?/span>

Before they take the field on Sunday, Jose Mourinho was in the press conference room, playing mind games ahead of the biggest London Derby of the season so far, as the resurgent Tottenham Hotspur travel south to take on the Portuguese's former side Chelsea, spearheaded by the player that was part of the core that he led to successive Premier League titles �?Frank Lampard. 

Mourinho was quick to point out Chelsea’s eye-watering summer spending that saw them add seven players to the team, however, Spurs weren’t too far behind in the recruiting department, adding five players to the side that finished sixth in the Premier League last season.

Both teams have enjoyed a stunning start to their league campaigns. Tottenham are currently second, just a point behind league-leaders and reigning champions Liverpool with a game in hand, while Chelsea trail their London rivals by two points and sit in third. 

This game represents more than just three points. Chelsea versus Tottenham has produced some intensely heated game in the past five seasons and add the Mourinho connection to the equation and it’s bound to be fireworks. 

For Mourinho, this game is a chance to set the record straight against Lampard. In two matches against the manager he once coached, Mourinho is winless. The first meeting between the two happened in the League Cup when the Portuguese manager was still at Manchester United and Lampard in his rookie year as a head coach at Derby County. 

Lampard and Derby knocked Mourinho and United out of the competition on penalties and just a month later, Mourinho was out of the job at Old Trafford, replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Lampard led Derby all the way to the playoff finals, where they were beaten by Aston Villa. 

Lampard, though, was soon hired by Chelsea and later in the year, Mourinho was appointed the Spurs boss after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked unceremoniously. The two have only met once so far in the Premier League, with Chelsea and Lampard coming out on top with a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso.

However, this is a different Spurs team. A team that believes that they can go all the way this season. Mourinho and Spurs have already scored huge wins over Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League with Harry Kane and Heung Min-Son leading the way for the North Londoners. 

Chelsea, too, have title aspirations after their summer splurge and continue to keep pace with those at the top. However, a victory for Spurs could see them open a five-point gap on Chelsea and while it’s still early to call that an insurmountable lead, the psychological effect of a defeat could be devastating for a young Chelsea side. 

Mourinho has launched his mind games and deflected the pressure off his team to score a victory on Sunday onto Chelsea. However, there is absolutely no doubt that the Portuguese manager believes this is his chance to settle his score against his former apprentice.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington

Twelve years on from their League Cup success against Chelsea in the final, the ongoing Premier League campaign seems to be Tottenham Hotspur’s best opportunity of winning a trophy after more than a decade.

Currently fifth in the Premier League standings just two points behind the leaders, Spurs will know that the open nature of this season makes it possible for them to have a real title tilt and with Jose Mourinho at the helm, they have a man-in-charge who has led a team to league success in England in the past.

Mourinho’s mission statement, in fact, at the time of his appointment as Spurs manager was to help the team win a trophy following years of failure as far as getting their hands on some silverware.

Spurs�?best campaign in recent times culminated in a runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League final and Mourinho was, with good reason, identified as the man to end the north London club’s barren years.

Mourinho, after all, is a serial winner who has won trophies at every club that he has ever managed.  Even the 57-year-old’s detractors who believe that he’s not the manager he once was and point at his last two spells with English clubs as examples cannot deny the fact that he won trophies while in charge of them.

While admittedly, it may seem like winning trophies with Manchester United and Chelsea is easier than with Tottenham Hotspur, that’s not how Mourinho will view things.

Lest we forget that here’s a manager that made his admiration for several Spurs players known while he was Manchester United boss. Mourinho was linked with several Tottenham stars during his time at Old Trafford, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that he jumped at the first chance of managing the Londoners following his United sacking.

Presented to the press as the man who would win Tottenham trophies, history tells us that he traditionally enjoys strong second seasons at most of his clubs and now, as Mourinho approaches a year of being in charge of Spurs after taking over the role last November, we are beginning to see the makings of title challengers.

And with the open nature of the Premier League this season, perhaps this will be Tottenham’s best chance of lifting the league title �?something they haven’t managed to in 60 years.  That said, it wouldn’t be the first time Mourinho helped a London club end decade-long waits for a league title; just ask Chelsea who he guided to their first league crown in 50 years.

Even if Spurs weren’t to win the league, there’s no reason why they can’t get their hands on some of the other trophies they are in the running for. The Portuguese manager definitely won’t let runs in cup competitions just pass him by for certain for he is the most successful manager in the history of the League Cup at the end of the day.

Strong cup runs both domestically and in Europe should be high on Mourinho and Spurs�?list of priorities, and why shouldn’t that be the case, going by their early season form?

The in-form team in the Premier League at the moment, Spurs have been scoring for fun with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min firing on all cylinders. Furthermore, the nature of their wins has only strengthened the belief within the squad that something special may be happening on the white side of north London.

Regardless of whether they can string together the consistency to challenge Liverpool for the league crown over the course of the campaign, getting their hands on some sort of silverware this season looks like a more real possibility now than in any of their past campaigns.

Spurs, of course, always had a talented group of individuals, but the shift in mentality which Mourinho has brought with him to the club seems to be paying dividends. With all that in mind, it’s worth noting that history tells us that third seasons don’t always go well for Mourinho teams as things tend to unravel quick, making the ongoing campaign perhaps their best chance of winning a trophy in years.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Neil Hall

When nature calls, it has to be answered, and that's what we saw with Eric Dier during Tuesday night's Carabao Cup match against Chelsea. The defender was spotted scurrying off the pitch with coach Jose Mourinho in hot pursuit!

Keep in mind that Spurs were down 0-1 with 15 minutes left on the clock and Dier's sudden disappearance reduced them down to 10 men so it's understandable why Mourinho dashed after his player to try to get him to cut short his unplanned restroom sojourn and get back in the game.

Jose Mourinho was NOT happy when Eric Dier ran to the toilet during the match

So he ran after him! #TOTCHE

@DAZN_CA pic.twitter.com/WBaEn2hK11

�?Goal (@goal) September 29, 2020

The story had more than one happy ending, however, as after Dier offloaded his troubles, he was able to help in Erik Lamela's successful effort in nailing the equaliser and forcing a penalty shootout that Spurs won 5-4, with none other than Dier scoring the first spot-kick.

We round up some of the best (read funniest) reactions, starting with this quip by Gary Linekar, who didn't even wait to reach the restroom back in the day:

Strange scenes as @ericdier runs off the pitch to the dressing room, followed hastily by Mourinho. Then Dier runs back out to resume playing. Presumably he needed the loo. Players just don’t shit on the pitch anymore. What’s wrong with them?

�?Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 29, 2020

For perspective:

 

@ericdier #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/Y9RkJK9TSH

�?Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 29, 2020

 

"When you've gotta go, you've gotta go!"

�?@ericdier #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/dvXeeFqhQh

�?Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 29, 2020

Inside the Spurs dressing room pic.twitter.com/PwR5doqe5o

�?Caidzz (@Caidanamari_) September 29, 2020

Eric Dier turning into Eric Dierrhea pic.twitter.com/pEN1oa3Qlv

�?ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) September 29, 2020

Eric Dier said pic.twitter.com/8VRpyHT33z

�?Raz (@Razzlar_77) September 29, 2020

Eric Dier has left the pitch in an unusual fashion in his last two domestic cup appearances and you have to respect it pic.twitter.com/zDTk3qf7BW

�?Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) September 29, 2020

Eric Dier in the Spurs changing room #COYS #THFC pic.twitter.com/OIWlx92yzx

�?The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) September 29, 2020

Eric Dier has just sprinted down the tunnel, Mourinho going crazy.

�?Henry Winter (@henrywinter) September 29, 2020

Jose Mourinho chasing Eric Dier down the tunnel, this guy is the definition of football entertainment

�?TC. (@totalcristiano) September 29, 2020

Absolutely nobody:

Eric Dier: pic.twitter.com/GQS0aoBuFo

�?Jefa (@Limorio_) September 29, 2020

Eric dier pic.twitter.com/8lIWmAEXmK

�?The Elite Pundit (@TheElitePundit) September 29, 2020

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Clive Rose

Last season finish: 6th in Premier League (16W-11D-11L, 59 points) 

Head coach: Jose Mourinho

2019-20 top scorer: Harry Kane (18 goals)

Other Trophies in 2019-20: None

There are two names that stand out as we start our discussion about Tottenham Hotspur. One of them is their star striker Harry Kane and the other is their manager Jose Mourinho. Needless to say, the club's fortunes in the 2020/21 Premier League season are heavily reliant on these two men. 

All of Tottenham's strategies over the years have been pretty much centred around Kane and it didn't change even when Jose Mourinho took over as the Spurs manager midway into the last season. The English forward did have to sit out for a long duration due to injury and it can be said that Mourinho did a fair job to alter his gameplan without Kane. But such is the influence of the striker on this club that he still finished as their top scorer in the 2019/20 Premier League season despite missing so many games. So it goes on to say how important Kane is going to be for Spurs this year as well.

Speaking about Mourinho, what he guarantees is an organized and solid defence. How he unlocked Serge Aurier's full potential last season and the way he found a completely rejuvenated Eric Dier at the back can be considered to be a defensive masterstroke. Not only that, but he also introduced the world with the talent of Japhet Tanganga as well. 

• Premier League 2020/21: Arsenal season Preview

It's still controversial, though, how he handled Tanguy Ndombele and his offensive strategies are something that will be under the spotlight this season. But Mourinho is one of the best tactical minds in world football. He had a lot on his plate to deal with when he joined the club in their chaotic condition last season. This will be his first full season as Spurs' manager and the fans would be expecting the same thing that he has been always associated with -- TROPHIES!

Issues they faced last season

Mourinho brought some much-needed organization in a leaky Spurs defence once he took over the charges as their manager towards the middle of the last season. But there was still some improvement left to be made as far as Tottenham's offensive play was concerned. 

Their forwards and midfielders often appeared directionless in absence of Kane. Although the likes of Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn came up with flashes of brilliance from time to time, the forward lines still lacked the cohesion that is generally seen in Kane's presence.

The Englishman's fitness is once again going to be a concern this season and Mourinho needs to devise good plans so that the team doesn't lose their scoring efficiency in Kane's absence. Son, Bergwijn and Alli can be world-class when used properly and that's why Mourinho needs to figure out the way with which he can bring the best out of all three of them.

• Five players from newly-promoted sides who can impress in the Premier League

Also, they lacked a creative force in the midfield once Christian Eriksen left the club. So that is another area that requires attention. 

Have the Issues been fixed?

Mourinho is well aware of their need for offensive improvement and that's why he has bolstered the squad by signing Matt Doherty and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton respectively. Doherty has been one of the best wing-backs in the league in the last couple of seasons. He has scored and assisted on multiple occasions for Wolves and Mourinho will be eager to see him performing in a similar role for Spurs as well.

As far as Hojberg is considered, Mourinho would want him to be the man who would help in forming an organized link-up between their attack and defence. Hojbjerg is expected to sit deep inside the midfield, doing the holding job mainly. But he can be a major creative force during counterattacks as well. Such qualities fit Mourinho's bill perfectly and the manager would have high hopes from him this season.

• Five teenagers to keep an eye on in the 2020/21 Premier League season

Apart from these two, Joe Hart has also been brought on a free transfer. The Englishman serves as a quality backup for Hugo Lloris with the keeping gloves. We might see Hart playing a lot of cup games as well and that might help Mourinho in easing up Lloris' workload.

Predictions for 2020/21 season

Mourinho did a pretty good job to guide Spurs to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season considering the condition the club was in prior to his arrival. They are in much better shape now if the latest acquisitions are anything to go by. But since beating the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title will be a tough job, Mourinho won't settle for anything less than a top-four finish. However, winning at least one silverware will be one of his season objectives and he will go all out for it.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington

Jose Mourinho vowed to get Tottenham back "where we belong" next season after they settled for Europa League qualification at the end of a troubled campaign.

Mourinho led Tottenham to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Tottenham were 14th when Mourinho took charge in November following Mauricio Pochettino's sacking and he endured a series of injuries to key players before the hiatus.

So, while Mourinho was frustrated to have missed out on Champions League qualification, the Tottenham boss believes the foundations have been laid for a return to the top four next season.

"What we can do of course is improve. When all the players are available we showed in this last period where we belong. I don't know, maybe in this period, after lockdown, we finished third or fourth in the table," Mourinho said.

• Read | Solskjaer wants more from Manchester United

"So that's where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players. I want a pitch full of players.

"Of course as a squad the main thing is to keep our very good players and after that improve the squad.

"Are we going to buy 10 players? No. Are we going to buy players for £100 million? No. We are going to improve."

7 - Only @vancole9 (9), Les Ferdinand (9) and @mattletiss7 (8) have scored more Premier League goals on the final day than Tottenham striker Harry Kane has in just six such appearances (7). Bang. pic.twitter.com/oZAZV6PG8d

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 26, 2020

Mourinho oversaw a six-game unbeaten run to deliver Europa League qualification, overturning a seven-point gap to sixth place after a loss at Sheffield United earlier this month.

While the Europa League doesn't have the prestige of the Champions League -- in which Tottenham finished as runners-up last year -- Mourinho said they should focus on winning the competition next season.

"Of course everybody that one day plays Champions League doesn't want to go back and play Europa League but it was the only thing possible after such a difficult season for club," he said.

"Arriving 14th and handling things is not bad at all. I am quite happy next season we play in Europa League and it's just a question to motivate ourselves for that competition and try to motivate the fans to support us and do something beautiful."

• Read | Lampard urges Chelsea to push on after sealing top four finish

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Will Oliver

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City deserve an apology after successfully overturning their European ban but rival managers Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp criticised the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAS on Monday lifted a two-year ban imposed earlier this year on the Premier League club by European football's governing body UEFA over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016.

Guardiola feels the club proved their innocence after years of accusations related to their financial strength and says it is time for others to accept their place among the elite is merited.

"I am incredibly happy for the decision. It shows all the people said about the club wasn't true," the City boss told a pre-match press conference. 

"We should be being apologised to," he added. "If we did something wrong we would accept, absolutely, the decisions from UEFA and CAS."

The City boss has hit out at rival clubs for what he believes was a "whispering" campaign to discredit them.

"We don't expect Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea or Wolves, or all the clubs, to defend us but we have the right to defend ourselves when we believe what we have done is correct, and three independent judges said this," he said.

- 'Disaster' -

Tottenham manager Mourinho said the court's decision was a "disaster" and showed FFP, which limits club's spending in line with their revenue, was now dead, while Liverpool boss Klopp said City's reprieve was a bad day for football.

City were punished by UEFA in February over "serious breaches" of FFP regulations but immediately contested the ban.

CAS found that City had failed to cooperate with UEFA authorities but said the club "did not disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions".

UEFA recognised in a statement that many of the allegations fell outside the five-year time limit in its own regulations.

An initial fine of 30 million euros ($34 million, £27 million) imposed by UEFA was reduced to 10 million euros by CAS. However, the fine related only to City's failure to cooperate with UEFA's investigation rather than FFP breaches.

Mourinho said if they were guilty, City should be banned -- but if they were innocent, they should not have to pay a penny.

"It's a disgraceful decision, because if Man City is not guilty then to be punished with some millions is a disgrace. If you are not guilty, you are not punished. By the other way if you are guilty you should be banned so it is also a disgraceful decision. In any case the decision is a disaster," said Mourinho.

On Wednesday, Tottenham face Newcastle, a club that could benefit from any relaxation of FFP rules should a Saudi-backed takeover be approved by the Premier League.

And Mourinho believes that in light of the City decision, any prospective new owners will not feel the need to comply with the regulations.

"I truly believe FFP is gone," he added. "New owners will have this feeling the circus opened the door so let's go and enjoy it."

Klopp is hopeful that City's participation in next season's Champions League will help his side's chances of retaining the Premier League.

But the German believes any demise of FFP, which has helped bring down debt across the European game, would be bad for football.

"From a personal point of view, I'm happy Manchester City can play in next season's Champions League, because if they have 12 games less, I don't see any chance for any other teams in the Premier League," said Klopp.

"I don't wish anything bad on anyone but I don't think it was a good day for football. Financial Fair Play is a good idea and it was there to protect teams and the competition, and clubs have to make sure the money they want to spend is from the right sources."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he has never considered dropping David de Gea "for one second" as the Spanish goalkeeper prepares to make his 400th appearance for Manchester United.

Signed as a wiry 20-year-old from Atletico Madrid in 2011, the 'keeper overcame initial struggles to establish himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Old Trafford giants' history.

De Gea was a fax machine error away from joining Real Madrid in 2015 but the goalkeeper is now committed to United until at least 2023 and will made his 400th outing for the club against Southampton on Monday.

• Man Utd blow chance to move up to third after Southampton strike late

The 29-year-old has won United's player of the year award for four of the six seasons since Alex Ferguson retired but questions over his position continue, with Dean Henderson impressing on loan at Sheffield United.

Yet Solskjaer has retained belief in a goalkeeper he recently called the best in the world, even during a shaky spell last season.

Asked if he had considered dropping him or taking him out of the firing line, the United boss said: "It did not cross my mind for one second. Not at all.

"To be a Man United goalkeeper, you have to have a strong mentality. David has a strong mentality and he has been here for so long.

"He is now going to come up to 400 games and you don't do that by being afraid of the limelight or being afraid of Old Trafford."

De Gea usurped Peter Schmeichel's tally of 398 United appearances in Thursday's 3-0 win at Aston Villa, with Alex Stepney now the only goalkeeper to have played for the club more.

It will take a while to match his figure of 539 but Solskjaer is convinced the Spaniard has plenty of years in him yet.

"He has come out and said he wants to play many, many more, maybe 10 more years," said the United boss.

Solskjaer said De Gea, who won the Premier League in 2013, was driven by a desire to win the top trophies with United, who have slipped from their position of dominance in English football since Ferguson left the club.

"I don't think he'll be happy until he wins the bigger trophies because staying at Man United in this time and not having won more, I think that's something that he will feel is a black dot in his career."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis