Mauricio Pochettino Says Tottenham Should Be Awarded 2016-17 Premier League Title After Chelsea Financial Violations
Pochettino Claims Spurs Deserve 2016-17 Premier League Crown
Former Mauricio Pochettino has sparked debate by insisting that Tottenham Hotspur should be declared champions of the 2016-17 Premier League season. His argument stems from Chelsea's admission of 74 breaches of Football Association financial regulations during Roman Abramovich's ownership.
The 2016-17 Season Revisited
The FA recently handed Chelsea a £10 million fine and a suspended transfer ban after investigations revealed payments to unregistered agents linked to key transfers between 2011 and 2018. The current Chelsea owners reported these breaches after taking over in 2022. Players involved in those transfers include Eden Hazard, David Luiz, and Nemanja Matic, who were instrumental under Antonio Conte as Chelsea secured the Premier League title that year.
Tottenham Hotspur finished second in the league, just seven points behind Chelsea. Despite having the best attack, tightest defense, and fewest losses, Spurs left the season without the trophy. Pochettino now calls for the record books to be amended in their favor.
"We Deserve to Be Champions," Says Pochettino
Pochettino believes a financial penalty alone does not address the unfair advantage gained through rule-breaking. He stated, "I've said that we should win one title, one Premier League. We should have been awarded it. If that was true, and that happened, for sure we deserve to be champions for that year. Because we were the second best."
The Argentine highlighted the unequal conditions under which Tottenham and Chelsea competed. "They were punished, they admitted it, so that's it? The title should be for the team that was second. We didn't compete with the same rules. OK, now we can say that they scored goals, they won games. But it's completely fair to say that we didn’t compete before the start of the season with the same card."
He suggested that Tottenham might have improved their squad if the same financial restrictions applied. "Maybe with the same rules, if we apply the same things, maybe we could have signed some players that would have made the team better, or scored more goals. It's not me complaining. It's the truth."
Unequal Playing Conditions at Chelsea
Despite coaching Chelsea during the 2023-24 season, Pochettino did not hold back his criticism. "The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I'm saying this. But if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules, I would admit the same and say, 'Look, we don't deserve the title because we broke the rules'. It's impossible if only some clubs play with offside and another plays with no offside. Or one plays with VAR and another plays with no VAR. No. For everyone, it needs to be the same rules, and the capacity to create the best team."
While acknowledging Conte’s coaching skills, Pochettino stressed sporting fairness must come first. "I don't say that they did not play well. Conte, the coach, was great. I don't want this message twisted. But if you broke the rules, in the moment, then ciao. You need to give it to another team."
He warned that lenient sanctions risk encouraging rule violations. "What is being promoted and incentivised is to break the rules. If you don't punish the way that you need to punish, I say yes, but I lost my job because we didn't win the title. We were fighting with clubs who worked in a completely different way to us. I think we deserve more. We operated in a different way."
Will English Football Take Action?
Historically, English football authorities avoid stripping titles over financial misconduct, preferring points deductions instead. With growing scrutiny on financial fairness and sustainability in the Premier League, cases like Chelsea's will fuel ongoing discussions.
Although retroactive punishment for Chelsea appears unlikely, Pochettino’s remarks add pressure on the league to rethink how it handles breaches by top clubs and uphold sporting integrity.
