Pochettino calls Man City verdict a blow to sporting fairness

Former Chelsea and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino stood before a packed press room, his voice tight as he declared he was ‘astonished’ by the lack of sporting justice in the Premier League. The former USA manager pointed directly at Manchester City, insisting the recent verdict shattered any illusion of a level playing field.

City found guilty of 114 of 115 charges

Manchester City have been found guilty of a majority of the 115 charges levelled against them for breaching Premier League financial rules, with only one charge remaining unanswered. The eight‑time Premier League champions were initially charged in February 2023 for breaches covering the nine‑year period from 2009 to 2018.

The club’s punishment remains unknown, as an appeal process is still to run and may not be resolved for a long time. Pochettino warned that without a clear sanction the sport risks losing credibility.

Pochettino highlights double standards

At the press conference he said, “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.” He contrasted City’s fate with clubs such as Nottingham Forest and Everton, who received point deductions or fines for similar breaches.

He added that Manchester City’s achievements could now be considered “not real”, arguing that clubs finishing below them deserve more credit. “It’s a very sad situation because what was already achieved and celebrated maybe wasn’t real,” he said.

Pochettino also recalled the era when he guided Spurs to third, second and third‑place finishes between 2016 and 2018 and to the Champions League final in 2019, all without the spending power City displayed. “That was a big disadvantage because we were fighting among the best teams,” he noted, questioning why financial controls were stricter for Spurs than for others.

He further pointed out that Spurs finished second to Chelsea in 2017, while the Blues admitted to making £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents between 2011 and 2018. Chelsea were fined £10m but escaped any serious sporting punishment after self‑reporting the breaches.

“I said at the time regarding Chelsea’s situation when we fought for the title with them while I was at Tottenham,” Pochettino recalled, underscoring the uneven application of rules.

Looking ahead, he urged that the verdict serve as a catalyst for ensuring equality in the sport, hoping future controls will prevent such disparities from recurring.