Pochettino unloads on Manchester City after financial breach ruling

Mauricio Pochettino did not hold back. The United States head coach used Tuesday's pre-match press conference ahead of the friendly against Chile to address an issue that hits close to home: the verdict finding Manchester City guilty on 114 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018, along with failing to cooperate with the subsequent investigation. He did not mince words.

The Argentine, who managed in England at Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, lived through the years when City built its footballing empire while the rest of the league tried to keep pace. So when asked about the ruling handed down on Friday, he went straight to the point: in his view, the whole affair leaves a stain that will be hard to wash out.

It's all very murky, very hard to draw a conclusion. If it's true, there was a period of deception, so no punishment can undo that now. It leaves the Premier League's controls badly damaged. In the end, a lot of clubs followed the rules and others didn't, maybe thinking the punishment would only come after many years.Mauricio Pochettino

What bothers the coach most isn't so much pointing fingers as asking where the oversight was while all this was happening. And that's where he brought up his own experience in charge of Tottenham, a club that, in the middle of building its new stadium, had to compete with its hands tied in the transfer market.

The most important thing isn't figuring out who broke the rules and who didn't, it's, where were the controls? That's what strikes me the most. I remember being at Tottenham, building the stadium, and not having the financial means to sign anyone. I think we were the only team in Premier League history to go 18 months without making a single signing.Mauricio Pochettino

A grievance with a name attached

Pochettino kept coming back to the contrast: his Tottenham side fought for titles, competed with the teams at the top of the table and even reached a Champions League semifinal without being able to strengthen the squad, all while respecting the financial fair play rules the Premier League imposed. So the question he's asking is simple, if uncomfortable: why were those controls so strict with some and so lax with others?

Beyond the frustration, the coach also paused to consider what comes next. A financial penalty? A points deduction? None of it strikes him as easy to resolve, and that's why he spoke of a "deep sadness": if the charges end up being fully confirmed, much of what was celebrated during those years would come under a cloud, and what once looked like a disadvantage could end up being, in the end, the only fair way to compete.

Let's hope this leads to things being as fair as possible going forward, and that everyone gets to compete on a level playing field based on their own ability. We'll stay calm and wait to see what happens.Mauricio Pochettino

Manchester City, which won its eight Premier League titles starting right around the period under investigation, has denied all the charges from day one, and its officials have already made clear they will keep fighting to prove their innocence.