The boss has likened City to the Blues side of 10 years ago.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is bewildered as to why super-rich Manchester City aren’t receiving the same criticism as the Blues did 10 years ago.
It’s a little over a decade since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the west London club and started giving them huge funds to buy new players.
City underwent a similar transformation in 2008 when Sheikh Mansour took over the club, but Mourinho thinks the Citizens have gotten away with their supposed tactics of buying the Premier League title.
“I don’t know why they are so popular when we weren’t. I don’t know why,” the 51-year-old was quoted by the Mirror.
“In my time we were accused of buying the title, no? Because our owner was Mr Abramovich, just arrived in the country. Maybe now people see City in a different way.
“I’m not sure if it’s because it’s taken them six years to get to this stage while we won straightaway.
“And I don’t care. I don’t envy the fact that they have this kind of protection, of whichever word. It’s the way it is.
“Teams with success, people tend not to like them, no?
“If they want to make it impossible for us to compete with them in the market, yes it’s impossible.
“Financially, no, we can’t compete. Back then it was a free world. There was no Financial Fair Play. If your club was a rich one, your owner a rich one, there were no rules. It was an open situation.”
The Blues boss has raised some concerns over whether City are adhering to UEFA’s FFP regulation in recent times as well, although with the Portuguese coach’s side facing the 2012 English champions in the league, this could all just be mind games.
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