LONDON — Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says football has lived through a "period of deception" after Manchester City were found guilty of the majority of charges brought by the Premier League, with The Athletic reporting Friday that 114 of the 115 charges were upheld by an independent panel. Sanctions are yet to be announced, but City plan to appeal the decision, which relates to alleged financial rule breaches from 2009-10 to 2017-18 and a failure to co-operate with investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
"Whatever punishment [they choose], it's impossible to turn back time," Pochettino said. "It's done a lot of damage. Many clubs followed the rules and some didn't." The United States manager, 54, added: "We went through something where sporting fairness didn't exist. So, how do you repair everything that was damaged because of that, if it's true all of the 114 rules that were broken, we've lived through a period of deception." He also questioned what sanction could fit, asking whether it would be "an economic punishment? Docking points? It's really hard."
"Where were the controls? That's what gets my attention. Where were the controls?" Pochettino said. He pointed to his own experience managing three clubs in England during that period — 15 months at Southampton, five years at Tottenham and a single season at Chelsea — and recalled Tottenham going 18 months without making a transfer while building the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. "Tottenham was fighting for titles with those above us and every year in the top four, getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League without being able to do a transfer for 18 months, all because we needed to get used to the [Premier League financial controls]?" he said. "They were so strict with us but also so lenient with others."
Earlier this month, Pochettino said Chelsea should be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title after being found guilty of historical rule breaches and that it should be awarded to his Tottenham side, who finished runners-up that season. Sources have told BBC Sport that other top-flight clubs are seeking legal advice over possible compensation claims following the decision against City. City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023 following a four-year investigation, with a behind-closed-doors hearing beginning in September 2024 and running for about 12 weeks.
Pochettino described the fallout as "a huge sadness," saying "what got celebrated wasn't that real, what seemed good maybe wasn't so good." The verdict now heads toward a lengthy appeal process, as detailed in Man City 115 charges case moves to appeal, could last years.