Our writers have their say on former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino called for his former club to be stripped of the Premier League title
Mauricio Pochettino's admission that Chelsea's most recent Premier League title should be given to Tottenham has caused quite a stir. His two former clubs battled it out for domestic silverware during the 2016/17 campaign, with the Blues ultimately coming out on top.
However, a hefty fine and suspended transfer ban were later implemented on Chelsea for violating transfer rules during a seven-year period that included that season. Illicit agent payments and other inaccuracies were self-reported by the new ownership, which was partly why the Premier League's punishment was so lenient.
Nearly a decade on from his old team coming up short, Pochettino has stated that Chelsea should be stripped of the title, with Spurs receiving the accolade from that year.
The Argentine said: "I've said that, 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.
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"We didn't compete with the same rules. It's completely fair to say that we didn't compete before the start of the season with the same card. 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. If they admitted they broke the rules, the Premier League title was for the second best team.
"We were fighting with this club (who worked) in a completely different way to us. But I think we deserve more. We (should) get the respect for what we were doing. We operated in a different way."
Pochettino's comments have already caused quite the divide, with many believing Chelsea should be punished, but others arguing these matters should be decided on the pitch. With that in mind, football. london's writers have now had their say on whether or not Pochettino is right - and the likelihood of him getting his wish.
Kieran Horn
As a Tottenham fan, it would be extremely easy to agree with everything Pochettino has said. Ultimately, he is right but it would not feel like a proper victory if Tottenham were to be awarded that Premier League title.
Though Morocco are technically African champions, as far as I'm concerned Senegal won that final earlier this year and similar logic should be applied here. Chelsea won it on the pitch and I'm sure many associated with Tottenham wouldn't want that huge success in a boardroom.
However, Chelsea did quite clearly break the rules and gain an unfair advantage which saw Spurs forced to settle for second-place. So, there are certainly grounds for that outcome to be changed, but it really is unlikely to happen or make that much of a difference nearly 10 years later.
Arsenal were in a somewhat similar position until their triumph last May with Manchester City, who have won four of the last five Premier League's, awaiting the outcome of their financial charges case against the Premier League.
Had Chelsea's title been stripped, it sets a precedent that then has to be stuck to if any other teams are found to have broken the rules.
Aaron Morris
Looking at the situation from afar with a completely unbiased view (as a Sunderland fan), I'm almost certain that Pochettino's appeals will fall on deaf ears. That's especially considering the state of the game at present.
Yes, Chelsea were wrong in how they went about their business over that seven-year period, and the signings that they brought in as a result will have certainly gone a long way in clinching the Premier League title. However, clubs are seemingly still agreeing personal terms with players before striking an agreement with clubs in 2026, just doing it in plain sight as opposed to behind closed doors.
The Blues have been handed a transfer embargo - suspended to next year - and a £10million fine as a result of self-reporting 74 breaches under previous ownership. Make no mistake, that's a punishment which doesn't exactly reflect the severity of the club's former wrongdoing, but to call for Chelsea to be stripped of their league title is perhaps a step too far.
In my opinion, Chelsea's transfer embargo should have been made active this summer, to send a message to other clubs that such behaviour will not be tolerated - with the Blues ultimately able to bolster their squad for the next two seasons over the past couple of months to account for next year's inability to do so.
Similarly, with Manchester City still awaiting a verdict on their own 115 charges, it's hard to see a world, in which, officials strip the Cityzens of their haul of Premier League titles and domestic cups - and instead, a potential point deduction, fine and transfer embargo is widely expected for the northern giants - if we ever get a decision…
One thing is for certain, however. The Premier League need to come up with a blanket punishment for any breach of financial rules - whether that be regarding PSR or agent payments, and implement accordingly. My biggest pet peeve is a lack of consistency with regard to punishment for the big six and the rest of the league, and it's something that clearly needs to be resolved with priority.
Scott Trotter
Mauricio Pochettino is bang on. While Chelsea's current hierarchy may not be at fault, that does not mean the Blues did not benefit from past transgressions.
Many will argue that Antonio Conte formed the best team and they deserved their success over the course of the season, but if Chelsea's rule-breaking had no sporting advantage, why did they bother doing it?
Granted, it will not make any fan or player feel like they didn't win the league, and Spurs' fans won't have experienced the joy of lifting the title, so it would be little more than a gesture. But it is a tangible consequence that will be remembered, a fine simply will not.
The Premier League may suggest that such a punishment will prevent people from coming forward in the future, but underhand tactics should not be rewarded. A total of 74 rule breaches is a sign of something symptomatic.
Ben Crawford
Mauricio Pochettino has Chelsea fans' blood boiling—and that alone should be enough of a victory for Tottenham.
His call for retrospective justice carries weight; the recent sanctions for Chelsea's 74 financial breaches—a £10million fine and a suspended transfer ban—hardly feel like punishment. After all, when their previous 'transfer ban' ended in 2020, they simply shelled out £200m in a single summer and won the Champions League months later.
To strip them of their 2016/17 crown would be a nice little one-up, but awarding the title to Spurs wouldn't feel anywhere near as sweet as one might hope. N17 isn't exactly going to be chocka with fans going nuts, celebrating a league title 'won' a decade late. If anything, accepting it would only invite increased mockery.
Decisions to take away accolades in the wake of serious breaches have been made in Italy and France, but two realities remain: Chelsea's punishment, right or wrong, has already been dished out, and stripping titles sets a dangerous precedent.
Manchester City's charges are looming large and heaven knows what chaos could occur if all of their various pieces of silverware were redistributed amongst the 'wronged.'
As much as Tottenham finished as runners-up in 2016/17, it never truly felt like the title was there to be won. Spurs fans should sit satisfied knowing that no matter how loudly those packed into Stamford Bridge sing before games, Arsenal will forever be their greatest rivals.
Matty Hewitt
While I completely agree with Mauricio Pochettino's comments about the Premier League title, I also understand why it's never going to happen. That in itself is one of the major gripes with modern football.
How is it, that we can allow clubs to break Premier League rules and gain a sporting advantage over their competitors, with no meaningful sanctions? A fine here, a telling off there.
They mean nothing in the grand scheme of things and stripping titles would be a sure way of ensuring clubs stay within those financial parameters. We're all still waiting for the outcoming of Manchester City's alleged 115 breaches of Financial Fair Play.
Who knows when we'll hear that outcome, but we need to start seeing stricter sanctions imposed. The Premier League is the richest club in the world, with clubs owned by some of the richest people on the planet.
Slapping them with fines does absolutely nothing to maintain the integrity of the game.