Pochettino says no punishment can repair damage of Man City's 114 proven breaches

Mauricio Pochettino has said no punishment handed to Manchester City will be sufficient to repair the damage caused by the club’s 114 proven Premier League financial rule breaches, while directing sharp criticism at the league itself for failing to enforce its own regulations consistently.

Speaking at a press conference in his role as United States national team manager, the 54-year-old — who managed Tottenham Hotspur during part of the period covered by the charges — said the scale of the verdict defied easy comparison with sanctions handed to other clubs.

“It’s very difficult when out of 115 charges you are found guilty of 114 to know what the punishment should be to make it fair,” Pochettino said. “Because there are other clubs like Nottingham Forest or Everton that broke rules and received different sanctions, whether point deductions or fines. It’s a very difficult situation that causes astonishment given the magnitude of the verdict.”

Pochettino reserved particular criticism for the Premier League’s oversight, questioning why stricter financial scrutiny was applied to some clubs and not others. “We have lived through a period where sporting justice did not exist,” he said. “If the charges are proven, it’s very difficult to repair what happened. I hope that at least it serves to ensure equality exists in the future.”

Speaking in Spanish, he also told The Guardian that his own experience at Tottenham illustrated the disparity. “If I remember being at Southampton, then Tottenham — I remember building the stadium and not having the economic possibility of a transfer for 18 months. I think we were the only team in the history of the Premier League with 18 months without making a transfer. They were so strict with us but also so lenient with others.”

He added: “That’s why I say everything is very strange, and the problem is that everything gets clouded. If it’s true that they broke 114 rules, we have lived through a period of deceit. No type of punishment will make it possible to repair what was done, and the Premier League’s controls are severely damaged.”

Manchester City have indicated they intend to appeal the independent commission’s verdict and continue to maintain their innocence.