Spurs should be awarded 2016-17 title - Pochettino — SkimNews
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- Mauricio Pochettino says Spurs should be awarded the 2016-17 Premier League title, arguing Chelsea broke competition rules during that era and admitted it.
- Chelsea were fined £10.75m in March and had a six-point deduction "set aside" on appeal for historical breaches of competition rules; Antonio Conte's side finished seven points clear of Spurs that season.
- Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital self-reported 74 breaches of FA rules when they purchased the club in 2022, with Chelsea admitting £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents and third-parties over transfers between 2011 and 2018.
- Pochettino argues Spurs "didn't compete before the start of the season with the same card," saying a level playing field could have changed which players the club signed and how the title race unfolded.
- Pochettino managed Spurs from 2014-2019, leading them to the 2019 Champions League final but winning no trophies, before later managing Chelsea in 2023-24 and taking the USA job.
Why it matters: Chelsea paid a £10.75m fine and self-reported 74 FA breaches covering 2011-2018, yet kept the 2016-17 title — Pochettino's argument reframes Spurs' trophyless era as one where the silverware was arguably theirs, raising pressure on the Premier League to revisit sanctions that left competitive outcomes untouched.
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