Pochettino questions sporting fairness over reported City finding
The United States coach says reports of an independent panel’s finding point to a period without “sporting justice”, but the league has not confirmed the outcome.
Mauricio Pochettino has questioned the fairness of English football after media reports said an independent panel upheld most of the Premier League’s 115 alleged financial-rule breaches against Manchester City. The league has not officially confirmed the finding, and City denies wrongdoing.
“If it’s true that the 114 rules were broken, then we lived through a period of deception,” Pochettino said. He added that the damage could not be undone, whatever punishment might follow.
The allegations cover 2009–10 to 2017–18, when Pochettino managed Tottenham. He said many clubs followed the rules while others did not, and described the period as one in which “sporting justice didn’t exist”.
Pochettino said he did not know what sanctions City might face, mentioning a financial penalty or points deduction as possibilities. No sanctions have been announced.
Tottenham finished third in 2017–18, when City won the league. City has maintained its innocence, and its chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reiterated the club’s position after reports that a verdict had been reached.
