Mauricio Pochettino has renewed his belief that Tottenham Hotspur should be retroactively crowned Premier League champions for the 2016-17 season, arguing that Chelsea's financial rule violations during that campaign should cost them the title they won under Antonio Conte.
Spurs finished second that year, seven points adrift of Chelsea, having racked up a club-record 86 points and gone unbeaten at home in the final season of the old White Hart Lane. Chelsea's triumph has since come under scrutiny after the club, now under BlueCo ownership, self-reported historic breaches dating back to the Roman Abramovich era. An investigation found Chelsea had used unlicensed agents and concealed the true nature of transfer dealings between 2009 and 2022, including the deals that brought Eden Hazard, Willian, David Luiz and Nemanja Matic to Stamford Bridge. The Football Association fined Chelsea £10m in July with a suspended two-window transfer embargo, while the Premier League separately fined the club £10.75m in March. No points were deducted and no titles were stripped.
Pochettino, now in charge of the United States national team, insists the punishment did not go far enough and that the outcome of the 2016-17 season should be revisited.
"We should win one Premier League, we should have been awarded it," Pochettino said. "They were punished, they admitted it? So that's it. The title should be for the team that was second... for sure, we deserve to be champions for that year, because we were the second best."
The Argentine, who later had a spell managing Chelsea himself in 2023-24, argued that competitive fairness was compromised regardless of how well Conte's side performed on the pitch. "OK, now we can say that they scored goals, they won games. OK, that's it. But it's completely fair to say that we didn't compete before the start of the season with the same card," he said. "Maybe with the same rules, if we apply the same things, maybe we could've signed some players that would have made the team better or scored more goals. It's not me complaining. It's the truth."
Asked whether Hazard, who scored 16 league goals that season, was the decisive factor in the title race, Pochettino did not hold back. "Maybe yes. I have no doubt and I'm not scared to say the truth. The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I'm saying this. But if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules I'd 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. For everyone it needs to be the same rules."
He stressed his comments were not a slight on Conte's coaching. "I don't say that they didn't play well, that was Conte, the coach was great, and everything. I don't say that. And I don't want this message to be twisted. But if you broke the rules, in the moment, then ciao - you need to give it to another team."
Pochettino also reflected on the personal toll of missing out on major honours at Spurs, suggesting it may have influenced Daniel Levy's decision to sack him in 2019. He drew a parallel with Levy's own departure from the club last year, saying the former chairman now understands what it felt like to be dismissed. "I think he feels like I did when I was sacked. Now he knows the feeling," Pochettino said, adding that the pair remain in contact.
Looking ahead, Pochettino reiterated his enduring affection for Tottenham, revealing he was approached about a return last season but that the timing never aligned. "Tottenham? Yes, of course. It's the only club that always I am open to help. Whatever division. Another club, no. But Tottenham, yes," he said.
Based on reporting from The Independent and The Guardian.