Mauricio Pochettino has said Tottenham Hotspur competed during a period where sporting justice did not exist. The former Spurs manager, who led the club from 2014 to 2019, spoke out on Monday about Manchester City's alleged financial rule breaches during that time.

Pochettino said the situation was deeply sad. "If it’s true that the 114 rules were broken, then we lived through a period of deception," he stated. He argued that clubs like Tottenham, operating under a far tighter budget, were fighting at a significant disadvantage while others broke the rules. Spurs finished third, second and third in the Premier League from 2016 to 2018 and reached the Champions League final in 2019.

A clouded legacy

He believes City's achievements may now be considered not real and that those who finished below them deserve more credit. "It’s sad. It’s deeply sad." Pochettino said. He questioned why controls were strict with some clubs and not others, calling the entire episode a very difficult situation that causes astonishment.

Pochettino, now manager of the United States men's national team, also referenced Chelsea's punishment for breaches during the 2016-17 season, when they won the title by seven points over Tottenham. He had previously called for Chelsea to be stripped of that title. The Argentine said it is very difficult to know what punishment would be fair for City, given the magnitude of the reported verdict of guilt on 114 of 115 charges.

Current context at Tottenham

His comments come as Tottenham find themselves in a difficult period on the pitch. The club currently sit 20th in the Premier League standings with just two points from five games, having lost their last two matches. The squad will be looking to turn around a recent form line that reads zero wins, two draws and three defeats from their last five outings. The team has conceded 10 goals in the league so far, while scoring only 5. Their next opportunity to improve their position comes in a key London derby against Chelsea, a fixture detailed in the club's official fixtures list. The current squad will need to address these defensive issues quickly if they are to climb from the bottom of the table.

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