“They won by breaking the rules!” Pochettino erupts after verdict against Manchester City

The former Premier League manager made no attempt to hide his frustration over the financial wrongdoing by rivals in the title race.

Details: United States national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino gave an emotional reaction to the independent commission’s verdict in Manchester City’s major financial case. The Argentine coach stressed that the proven irregularities had dealt a colossal blow to fair sporting competition in English football.

Pochettino drew a direct parallel with his years at Tottenham, when the Spurs unsuccessfully tried to keep pace with clubs whose financial histories were shrouded in uncertainty:

“I said at the time regarding Chelsea's situation — when we fought for the title with them while I was at Tottenham — that they were better because they got more points, but by breaking rules. How do you repair that? It’s perfectly fair to ask: WHERE was the control if the rules were being broken in this way? That is what catches my attention the most. It is a very complicated situation that causes astonishment, considering the full severity of the verdict,” the coach said.

The coach added that it is now extremely difficult to determine a fair punishment for Manchester City, since no retrospective sanctions, fines or points deductions imposed after the fact can return the medals taken from their rivals, the trophies they missed out on or the emotions stolen from the fans.

It is worth noting that Mauricio Pochettino managed Tottenham from 2014 to 2019, winning Premier League silver in the 2016/17 season, and was in charge of Chelsea during the 2023/24 campaign before moving on to manage the United States national team.

Reminder: Not my problem! Mancini defends City despite the guilty verdict