Strip Chelsea of that title – Pochettino tells Premier League to crown Tottenham champions

The Football Association fined Chelsea £10 million after admitting 74 breaches of rules relating to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.

The club confirmed it made £47 million in secret payments to unregistered agents and third parties in connection with transfers between 2011 and 2018, during the Roman Abramovich era. Despite the admission, Chelsea escaped any points deduction or retrospective sporting sanctions.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Pochettino, who led Tottenham to second place that season, believes Spurs should be awarded the title.

“For sure, we [Tottenham] deserve to be champions for that year because we were second best.

"We should have been awarded it. We should win one title, one Premier League,” he said.

“They [Chelsea] were punished, they admitted it, so that’s it. The title should be for the team that was second. It’s not me complaining, it’s the truth. We didn’t compete with the same rules.

“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’.

”Pochettino argued that the lack of sporting punishment sets a dangerous precedent.

“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.

“I don’t say that they didn’t play well or that the coach, Conte, was not great. But if you broke the rules in the moment, then ‘ciao’ – you need to give it to another team.”

Pochettino also confirmed he had been asked to return to the Tottenham job and, despite being USA head coach, refused to close the door on a return.

“Yes, of course. It’s the only club that I am always open to help. Whatever division. Another club, no. But Tottenham, yes.”