Mauricio Pochettino’s career has taken him from Paris to the United States, but his latest frustration reaches back to his Tottenham years. The US national-team coach has questioned the credibility of Premier League oversight after Manchester City were found guilty of 114 financial-rule breaches.
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Pochettino, who coached Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and 2022, addressed the Manchester City case before the United States face Chile in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Argentine said the outcome had left former rivals such as Tottenham with no realistic route to redress. City’s breaches covered the period from 2009 to 2018, during which the club won four English league titles, including the 2018-19 crown.
“We went through a period in which sporting justice did not exist,” Pochettino said. “When 114 of 115 charges result in guilt, it is very difficult to decide what a fair punishment would be.”
He contrasted the situation with the cases involving Everton and Nottingham Forest, who received sanctions including points deductions and fines for their own rule breaches. Pochettino also asked how the controls could have failed for so long.
His strongest complaint concerned Tottenham’s financial restrictions while the club were building their new stadium. Spurs did not sign a player during the 2018-19 season, yet still reached the Champions League final under Pochettino.
“It was a major disadvantage because we were competing with the leading sides and reached a Champions League final,” he said. “Why were the checks so strict for us and not for others?”
Pochettino described the wider affair as unclear and strange. In his view, no eventual punishment can undo the competitive consequences if City broke 114 rules, while the Premier League’s monitoring system has suffered severe damage to its standing.
He added that achievements celebrated during that era may not have reflected a level playing field.
The former Spurs manager also referred to Chelsea, who were sanctioned over breaches committed between 2009 and 2022. Tottenham finished second behind Chelsea in 2016-17, when Pochettino’s side were in the title race.
“I said at the time that Chelsea were better because they had more points,” Pochettino said. “But if rules were broken, how can that be repaired?”
