Mauricio Pochettino has hit out at both Manchester City and the Premier League over the club’s financial scandal, saying: ‘We have lived through a period where sporting justice did not exist.’
Manchester City have been found guilty of a majority of the 115 charges leveled at them for breaking Premier League financial rules. The eight-time Premier League champions were initially charged in February 2023 with breaching financial regulations over nine years from 2009 to 2018. What punishment they will face is as yet unknown and may not become clear for a long time as an appeal process is still to run.
Pochettino astonished at lack of level playing field
Pochettino, who managed Tottenham from 2014-19, is ‘astonished’ at the lack of a level playing field during that period. The current USA manager is not just fuming with Manchester City for their actions, but also with the Premier League for allowing rules to be broken to such an extent.
‘It’s very difficult when out of 115 charges you are found guilty of 114 to know what the punishment should be to make it fair,’ Pochettino told a press conference. ‘Because there are other clubs like Nottingham Forest or Everton that broke rules and received different sanctions, whether point deductions or fines.
‘It’s a very difficult situation that causes astonishment given the magnitude of the verdict. And it’s also fair to ask where the controls were for the rules to be broken like that. That’s what catches my attention the most.’
City's achievements may now be considered 'not real'
The Argentine said Manchester City’s achievements may now be considered ‘not real’ and those who have finished below them deserve more credit than they have been given.
‘It’s a very sad situation because what was already achieved and celebrated maybe wasn’t real, and what wasn’t so good could have been better,’ he said. ‘We have lived through a period where sporting justice did not exist. If the charges are proven, it’s very difficult to repair what happened. I hope that at least it serves to ensure equality exists in the future.’
Spurs enjoyed impressive consistency at a high level under Pochettino, finished third, second and third from 2016-18 in the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final in 2019. Tottenham did so without the spending power that Manchester City were displaying and he believes that no punishment can repair the injustice of financial rules being broken.
‘That was a big disadvantage because we were fighting among the best teams and reaching a Champions League final,’ he said. ‘Why were those controls so strict with us and not as much with others?
‘That’s why I say everything is very strange, and the problem is that everything gets clouded. If it’s true that they broke 114 rules, we have lived through a period of deceit. No type of punishment will make it possible to repair what was done, and the Premier League’s controls are severely damaged.’
Pochettino recalls Chelsea title race
Pochettino has also pointed out that his Spurs side finished second to Chelsea in 2017, with the Blues having admitted to making £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents and intermediaries between 2011 and 2018. Chelsea were fined £10m, but avoided a serious sporting punishment after the current ownership self-reported the past breaches.
‘I said at the time regarding Chelsea’s situation when we fought for the title with them while I was at Tottenham, that they were better because they got more points, but by breaking rules. How do you repair that?’ Pochettino asked.
