POCHETTINO SAYS TOTTENHAM SHOULD BE AWARDED CHELSEA’S 2017 PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE
Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham should be retrospectively crowned Premier League champions for the 2016/17 season after Chelsea were punished for historical financial and transfer-rule breaches.
Chelsea won the title under Antonio Conte that season with 93 points, finishing seven points ahead of Pochettino’s Tottenham side, who recorded a club-record 86 points.
Chelsea were later found to have committed numerous rule violations involving undisclosed payments and unregistered agents during the Roman Abramovich era. The club was fined by the Premier League and Football Association, although no sporting punishment was imposed that removed points or titles.
Pochettino argues that Tottenham should therefore receive the title because they were the runners-up. He believes Spurs did not compete under the same conditions as Chelsea and could potentially have strengthened their squad if the rules had been applied equally.
The former Tottenham and Chelsea manager also pointed to players such as Eden Hazard, whose performances were important to Chelsea’s title-winning campaign, as an example of why he believes the issue should be taken seriously.
Pochettino insists his argument is not intended to take credit away from Conte or Chelsea’s performances on the pitch. Instead, he says football must have consistent rules for every club.
He added that if Tottenham had committed similar violations, he would accept that they should lose any title they had won. In his view, breaking the rules should have consequences, and the next eligible team should benefit from the punishment.
Pochettino remains convinced that Tottenham deserve greater recognition for their achievements during that period, particularly after finishing second with one of the strongest seasons in the club’s history.
