Pochettino on Man City: No Punishment Can Undo What Was Done – Why Was Scrutiny Strict for Some and Not Others?

United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has weighed in on the major scandal surrounding Manchester City. As reported by The Athletic, the Citizens have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges concerning breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

While an official ruling is awaited, questions remain over what punishment will be handed down to the Etihad outfit—ranging from hefty fines and points deductions to stripped titles or potential expulsion from the English top flight.

The revelations have drawn a sharp reaction from the former Tottenham boss and current USMNT manager. The Argentine tactician led Spurs between 2014 and 2019, a period that overlapped with four of the seasons in which City committed financial infractions.

Speaking to ESPN, the experienced coach, whose managerial resume also includes Espanyol, Southampton, PSG, and Chelsea, made no secret of his outrage: "No kind of punishment will be able to fix what has already been done. If they are guilty, it means the Premier League's oversight mechanisms were seriously compromised."

Pochettino also commented on the magnitude of the charges compared to sanctions handed to other clubs: "When you are found guilty on 114 out of 115 counts, it is exceptionally difficult to determine what a fair sanction would be. Nottingham Forest and Everton also breached the rules, but received different punishments—points deductions or fines. It is only natural to ask: where were the governing bodies to allow such violations to happen? That is what baffles me the most. The situation is extremely serious and the sheer scale of the ruling is staggering."

The tactician expressed frustration over the lack of a level playing field in English football during that era: "Why was that scrutiny so strict for us at Tottenham, but not for others? If they truly broke 114 rules, then we were living in a period of complete deceit. What was achieved and celebrated might not have been genuine at all, and what didn't end in success could have turned out very differently."

Pochettino concluded by stressing the importance of fair play for the game's future: "We went through a period where sporting justice virtually did not exist. If these charges are confirmed, it is hard to compensate for what occurred. I hope this at least ensures absolute equality moving forward. Back when we were battling Chelsea for the title with Tottenham, I said they were better because they had won more points, but they did so while breaching the rules."