Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has called for Chelsea to lose their 2016/17 Premier League title. He believes Tottenham should receive the trophy instead.
Tottenham finished second that season with a club-record 86 points. Chelsea won the league with 93 points under manager Antonio Conte. Pochettino now believes the title should change hands after the Premier League punished Chelsea for historical rule breaches.
The Premier League fined Chelsea £10.75 million over breaches linked to undisclosed payments and third-party deals. The breaches covered the period between 2011 and 2018. They involved transfer deals for players such as Eden Hazard, Willian, David Luiz and Nemanja Matic.
Pochettino later managed Chelsea during the 2023/24 season. However, he said Tottenham did not compete with Chelsea on equal terms in 2016/17. He argued that Spurs could have strengthened their squad if they had known Chelsea were breaking the rules.
The Argentine also praised Chelsea’s performance under Conte. However, he said clubs must face consequences when they break competition rules. Pochettino believes the Premier League should have awarded the title to Tottenham after punishing Chelsea.
Chelsea reported the historical issues themselves after the club changed ownership in 2022. The club also worked with investigators during the inquiry. However, the Premier League did not deduct points or remove Chelsea’s title. As a result, Chelsea remain the official champions of the 2016/17 season.
