Man City charges: We lived through a period of deception if club found guilty, says ex-Spurs and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
Reports on Friday claimed an independent tribunal had reached its decisions in Manchester City’s 115-charge case - and that virtually all were found to have been proven; Man City deny all wrongdoing; Pochettino said: "If it's true…we've lived through a period of deception."
Tuesday 29 September 2026 10:38, UK
Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says the Premier League "lived through a period of deception" if Manchester City breached financial rules.
Reports last Friday said an independent tribunal has reached decisions in Manchester City's 115-charge case between the league and the club, and Sky Sports News understands the process is moving to the appeal stage.
Pochettino, who was in charge of Spurs from 2014 to 2019 and Chelsea in 2023-24, having previously managed Southampton from 2013 to 2014, said it had warped the view of history.
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Pochettino told the Guardian, through an interpreter: "At the end of the day, we went through something where sporting fairness didn't exist, so how do you repair everything that was damaged because of that?
"If it's true…we've lived through a period of deception."
Pochettino said no punishment could make up for the "damage" that had been caused.
"Whatever punishment, it's impossible to turn back time," he added.
"It's done a lot of damage. At the end of the day, many clubs followed the rules and some didn't."
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reaffirmed his belief that the club will prove their innocence in the case, while chief executive Ferran Soriano told a meeting of fellow club chiefs that their legal fight with the Premier League could take years to conclude.
Pulis: I feel cheated
Pochettino is not the only manager saddened by the prospect of the charges being proven and the impact that would have had on football between 2009 and 2018.
Tony Pulis was managing Stoke City when Manchester City beat them in the 2011 FA Cup final to win their first major trophy in 35 years.
"When do we get our FA Cup?" wrote Pulis in his BBC Sport column. "That is what all Stoke City fans have been asking me since the news broke on Friday that Manchester City had been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they have been accused of breaching.
"I thought exactly the same. While the process is far from over because Manchester City are expected to appeal, I have to say this verdict and the whole situation has left a very sour taste in my mouth."
Pulis continued: "I don't seriously believe any other trophies and titles will be handed back over either. A points deduction and a massive fine feels far more likely.
"But I still feel cheated. Whatever happens next, we won't ever get that day back and the chance to celebrate around Stoke-on-Trent with the cup and medals we so honestly fought for."
Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand backed Pulis, posting: "Let's start petition to get Tony Pulis is [sic] FA Cup Winners Medal!"
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol believes Premier League clubs could "seek compensation" should the charges be proven.
