Ex-Chelsea and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino slams Man City and Premier League

' Manchester City have been found guilty of a majority of the 115 charges leveled at them for breaking Premier League financial rules. The eight-time Premier League champions were initially charged in February 2023 with breaching financial regulations over nine years from 2009 to 2018.

What punishment they will face is as yet unknown and may not become clear for a long time as an appeal process is still to run. Pochettino, who managed Tottenham from 2014-19, is 'astonished' at the lack of a level playing field during that period.

The current USA manager is not just fuming with Manchester City for their actions, but also with the Premier League for allowing rules to be broken to such an extent. '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 told a press conference.

'Because there are other clubs like Nottingham Forest or Everton that broke rules and received different sanctions, whether point deductions or fines. And it's also fair to ask where the controls were for the rules to be broken like that.

That's what catches my attention the most. ' The Argentine said Manchester City's achievements may now be considered 'not real' and those who have finished below them deserve more credit than they have been given.

Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about - powered by Metro and trusted publications. 'It's a very sad situation because what was already achieved and celebrated maybe wasn't real, and what wasn't so good could have been better,' he said.

'We have lived through a period where sporting justice did not exist. 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. ' Manchester City allegations timeline November 2018: German newspaper Der Spiegel publish claims Manchester City have breached FFP rules March 2019: UEFA launch investigation into the claims May 2019: Manchester City launch an appeal against the investigation November 2019: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules the appeal as inadmissible February 2020: Manchester City are handed a two-year ban from European competition and a €30m fine by UEFA July 2020: The ban is overturned after the club appeal to CAS April 2022: Der Spiegel report the Premier League has been investigating Manchester City for three years February 2023: The Premier League charges the club with 115 breaches of its financial rules September 2024: Start of a 10-week hearing between the Premier League and Manchester City September 2026: Reports emerge that Manchester City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 financial rules the club are accused of breaking Spurs enjoyed impressive consistency at a high level under Pochettino, finished third, second and third from 2016-18 in the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final in 2019.

Tottenham did so without the spending power that Manchester City were displaying and he believes that no punishment can repair the injustice of financial rules being broken. 'That was a big disadvantage because we were fighting among the best teams and reaching a Champions League final,' he said.