Watching their city rivals clinch the Premier League title last season, missing out on key players in the transfer window and a tumultuous relationship between their manager and chief executive officer; Manchester United and their fans have almost faced it all in recent times. But, their troubles are far from over.

The Red Devils finished at 81 points last season (19 points behind rampant Manchester City) and the ongoing edition of the Premier League is proving a bit tough early on for Jose Mourinho's men. 

While the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have made it four wins in as many games, United has already lost two- including the shock loss against Brighton- and are currently placed 10th in the points table.

To make matters worse, their glorified manager - who has already attracted a lot of criticism for his theatrics - has now accepted a one-year prison sentence in a bid to settle a tax evasion case in Spain. According to reports, the prosecutors had accused Mourinho of a 2.9-million-pound tax fraud.

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A report in El Mundo - a Spanish daily - claimed that the Portuguese has accepted two six-month jail sentences for defrauding the Spanish Tax Office off 2.9 million pounds in 2011 and 2012 relating to image rights. But, the big question is: will he serve time in jail? Sadly, the answer is no.

The Spanish law states that a sentence of under two years for a first offense can be served on probation. Moreover, the report suggested that the 55-year-old has agreed to pay a fine of 1.78 million pounds amounting to 6 per cent of the alleged amount defrauded. And, with Mourinho pleading guilty, the investigating court in Madrid is likely to suspend his one-year jail term.

Mourinho will also accept to "render opaque the benefits derived from his image rights" and the data which he produced "does not correspond to reality with the aim of obtaining illicit profits". 

However, this isn't the first such case in Spain as earlier this year, former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, too, settled with the Spanish tax authorities to serve two years in prison and pay an 18.8 million euro fine in a tax evasion case.

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While Man Utd and their fans might have taken a sigh of relief over Mourinho's case, the football fans made full use of the opportunity to poke fun at the Portuguese and his current club.

So here we have a criminal managing an English football institution. Guilty of tax fraud and Gaol time. That must be good for the image of football. "There you go son strive to cheat the people out of their tax benefits when you grow up like your hero"

— 001harry (@001harry) September 5, 2018

bit like his team GOING DOWN

— MrKevin (@kevin_mrkevin) September 5, 2018

At least he can't blame anybody here.

— Vito Andolini (@OQuadruple) September 5, 2018

Tax cheat given jail sentence but still appears on TV every week https://t.co/omUhY9PfvB

— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) September 5, 2018

Says an Arsenal fan. pic.twitter.com/Mi1sLh8O1D

— Abdulsamad Umar (@justabdulsamad) September 4, 2018

Gets away with it because of who he is

— Emily â¤ï¸ð NUFC (@NaughtyEmilyB) September 4, 2018

Maybe Jose will cheer up now Tom, now he's avoided a custodial sentence for tax evasion in Spain!? ð

— Maurice Kilbride (@MauriceKilbride) September 4, 2018

Does that mean he now has a criminal record, and couldn't enter the US for future Utd tours?

— Duncan Lightfoot (@duncancfcfan) September 4, 2018

Deary me   if that were you or i  we would be locked up   money talks

— Paula  m (@PaulaRossi47) September 4, 2018

Hope he will get 'respect' as a criminal.

— Sidharth (@Sidart61_ssd) September 4, 2018

I think he would be happier in prison

— Michael Darmody (@MichaelDarmody) September 4, 2018