Pochettino says Manchester City verdicts betray fans

In a stark moment captured by photographer Taylor Banner, US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino voiced his dismay on Monday after Manchester City were found guilty of extensive financial rule breaches. The Premier League verdict, covering 115 charges from 2009 to 2018, sparked Pochettino’s claim that supporters “lived through a period of deception”.

Past clubs and the rise of City

Pochettino managed Southampton from 2013 to 2014, then led Tottenham Hotspur for five seasons between 2014 and 2019, before a single season in charge of Chelsea in 2023‑24. All this occurred while Manchester City ascended to the Premier League elite, a trajectory now clouded by the guilty findings.

and other outlets reported that the Premier League concluded City had violated the vast majority of the 115 charges, spanning falsified financial details, player‑payment irregularities and breaches of UEFA’s financial fair play rules.

Pochettino’s criticism of financial controls

When asked by for his thoughts, Pochettino asked in Spanish, “Where were the controls?” He recalled Tottenham’s 18‑month transfer ban, noting the club still contested for titles and reached a Champions League semi‑final despite being unable to sign players.

He argued that the controls were “strict with us but also lenient with others”, describing the situation as “very strange”. Pochettino added that the damage extends beyond guidelines, questioning whether points deductions or economic sanctions could ever rectify the perceived unfairness.

City’s issues trace back to a 2018 Der Spiegel investigation that exposed potential improprieties over a decade. Charged in 2023 for falsifying financial records, the club also faced UEFA sanctions in 2020, including a €30 million fine and an initial Champions League ban that was later overturned on appeal.

City are expected to appeal the Premier League verdict within the next two weeks, a process that could prolong legal battles. Pochettino, reflecting on the broader impact, said the sport’s fairness “didn’t exist” and lamented the “huge sadness” of a celebrated era now deemed deceptive.