Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager, has spoken out over the Manchester City financial charges case, saying the Premier League "lived through a period of deception" if the club is found to have broken financial rules.

Reports emerged last Friday claiming an independent tribunal had reached its verdicts in Manchester City's 115-charge case. Sky Sports News understands the process is now moving into an appeal stage, while Manchester City deny any wrongdoing.

Pochettino's verdict on a warped era

Pochettino, who managed Southampton from 2013 to 2014, Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 to 2019, and Chelsea during the 2023-24 season, spoke to The Guardian through an interpreter, arguing the situation had distorted football history.

"At the end of the day, we went through something where sporting fairness didn't exist, so how do you repair everything that was damaged because of that?" he said. "If it's true…we've lived through a period of deception."

Pochettino was firm that no sanction could undo the harm already done. "Whatever punishment, it's impossible to turn back time," he added. "It's done a lot of damage. At the end of the day, many clubs followed the rules and some didn't."

City's leadership reaffirms innocence

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated his belief that the club will ultimately prove their innocence. Chief executive Ferran Soriano, meanwhile, told a gathering of fellow club executives that the legal battle with the Premier League could drag on for years.

Pulis: 'I feel cheated'

Pochettino is not alone in his anguish. Tony Pulis, who managed Stoke City when Manchester City defeated them in the 2011 FA Cup final — the club's first major trophy in 35 years — expressed his feelings in a column for BBC Sport.

"When do we get our FA Cup?" Pulis wrote. "That is what all Stoke City fans have been asking me since the news broke on Friday. I thought exactly the same. While the process is far from over because Manchester City are expected to appeal, I have to say this verdict and the whole situation has left a very sour taste in my mouth."

Pulis acknowledged that trophy redistribution is unlikely. "I don't seriously believe any other trophies and titles will be handed back over either. A points deduction and a massive fine feels far more likely. But I still feel cheated. Whatever happens next, we won't ever get that day back and the chance to celebrate around Stoke-on-Trent with the cup and medals we so honestly fought for."

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand threw his support behind Pulis, posting on social media: "Let's start petition to get Tony Pulis is FA Cup Winners Medal!"

What comes next

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol has suggested that Premier League clubs could "seek compensation" should the charges ultimately be proven against Manchester City. The case, covering the period between 2009 and 2018, continues to cast a long shadow over English football.