Pochettino Says No Punishment Can Repair Manchester City Damage
United States manager Mauricio Pochettino says it is difficult to know what punishment Manchester City should receive after the club was found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations.
Pochettino, who spent seven seasons managing in the Premier League with Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, said the case had raised serious questions about sporting fairness.
“We have lived through a period where sporting justice did not exist,” Pochettino said.
114 Guilty Charges and a Difficult Question
According to reports, Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges relating to financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. During that period, the club won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups.
One of those league titles came in the 2017–18 season, when Pochettino’s Tottenham finished third. The previous season, Spurs had finished second behind Chelsea, who were also later found to have breached the league’s financial rules.
Asked what would represent a fair punishment, Pochettino pointed to the different sanctions imposed on other clubs, including points deductions and fines.
“It is very difficult to know what the punishment should be when 114 of 115 charges are upheld. Other clubs, such as Nottingham Forest and Everton, have received different sanctions. The scale of the verdict is astonishing,” he said.
For Pochettino, the most troubling issue is not only the alleged breaches themselves, but also the failure of the system to prevent them.
“It is fair to ask where the controls were when these rules were being broken. That is what catches my attention the most,” he added.
Tottenham’s Experience Shaped Pochettino’s View
Pochettino recalled that Tottenham had to operate under strict financial limitations while the club was building its new stadium. For a period of around 18 months, Spurs were unable to make a signing.
Despite those restrictions, Tottenham competed with the league’s strongest clubs and reached the Champions League final in 2019. That experience has made Pochettino question whether financial controls have been applied consistently across the competition.
“Why were those controls so strict with us and not as strict with others? Everything is very strange, and the problem is that the whole situation becomes clouded,” Pochettino said.
Can Sporting Achievements Be Repaired?
Manchester City’s rise during the period under investigation included moments that have become part of Premier League history. Sergio Agüero’s stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011–12 season delivered City’s first top-flight title since 1968.
The verdict has now placed those achievements under renewed scrutiny. Pochettino believes that even a severe punishment may not be enough to undo the effect on rival clubs and the competition itself.
“No type of punishment can repair what was done. The Premier League’s controls have been severely damaged,” he said.
He also argued that some celebrated achievements could now be viewed differently if the charges are ultimately proven in full.
“It is a very sad situation because what was achieved and celebrated may not have been real, while things that were not so good might have been better. I hope it at least ensures greater equality in the future.”
A Wider Question About Competitive Fairness
Pochettino previously made a similar point about Chelsea during Tottenham’s title challenge. In his view, Chelsea were better because they earned more points, but the question becomes more complicated if those results were achieved while breaking the rules.
“I said at the time that Chelsea were better because they got more points, but if rules were broken, how do you repair that?” Pochettino said.
The Manchester City case is therefore about more than a possible fine or points deduction. It has reopened a debate about how financial regulations should be enforced and whether sporting success can be fully separated from the methods used to achieve it.
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