Former Spurs boss Pochettino on Man City guilty verdict: ‘We lived through a period of deception’

Mauricio Pochettino has described Manchester City’s guilty verdict as evidence of possible deception.

He also admitted he does not know what punishment could adequately address the damage caused.

Man City were found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations, a verdict that has raised questions over the integrity of past competitions.

Speaking ahead of the United States’ friendly against Chile in St Louis, Pochettino was asked how the authorities should punish City if the findings ultimately stand.

“What is the punishment that’s just?” Pochettino said (via The Athletic). “It’s the astonishment you feel when a ruling comes out citing 114 rule violations. How did this happen?”

Pochettino also questioned the Premier League’s enforcement procedures, asking where the necessary controls were while the alleged breaches were taking place.

His comments were unsurprisingly poignant given his own experience at Tottenham Hotspur, and on-field battles with Man City under Pep Guardiola.

The Argentine recalled how Spurs went through two transfer windows without signing a player in 2018 and 2019 as they prioritised financing their new stadium while complying with the rules.

Tottenham reached the Champions League semi-finals under Pochettino but finished second to Chelsea in the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.

He recently claimed that Spurs should be awarded that title if Chelsea’s subsequent rule breaches are taken into account.

Pochettino believes the City verdict raises similarly difficult questions about the competition’s sporting history.

“If it’s true that the 114 rules were broken, then we lived through a period of deception,” he added.

He said that the damage could be impossible to quantify, especially for clubs that followed the rules while competing against teams allegedly operating outside them.

“It’s sad – it’s deeply sad,” Pochettino said. “What seemed so good maybe wasn’t so good.”

The former Spurs manager said the focus should now be on ensuring clubs compete on equal terms, while acknowledging that no punishment can fully reverse what has already happened.

“So, we’ll wait and see,” he said. “We’ll stay calm and wait to see what happens.”