Brief

Pochettino says punishing Man City will be impossible after breach verdict

The former Tottenham boss argues that any punishment cannot undo the damage caused by alleged rule breaches.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:30:34 GMT

Mauricio Pochettino, now coach of the United States men’s team, said it would be "impossible to turn back time" if Manchester City were punished after the Premier League found the club guilty of 114 of 115 financial rule breaches covering 2009‑2018 and a failure to cooperate with investigations up to 2023.

Pochettino warned that the verdict confirms a "period of deception" in football, adding that many clubs followed the rules while others did not, and that the damage to sporting fairness is hard to repair.

He recalled Tottenham’s own experience, noting the club endured an 18‑month transfer ban while building the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and suggested that inconsistent enforcement of financial controls created a double standard.

"Where were the controls?" he asked, questioning why City appeared to face fewer restrictions.

Key facts

• Manchester City was found guilty of 114 of 115 financial rule breaches. (standard.co.uk)
• Pochettino said any punishment would be impossible to reverse. (standard.co.uk)
• He referenced Tottenham’s 18‑month transfer ban while building their new stadium. (standard.co.uk)

Sources

• [1] standard.co.uk — originally reported as “Why Pochettino believes it will be 'impossible' to punish Man City”