Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has argued that Chelsea should be stripped of their 2016-17 Premier League title following a league investigation revealing £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents between 2011 and 2018. The payments were linked to transfers including Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Nemanja Matic, and Willian—four players who featured during the title-winning campaign. Pochettino, whose Spurs finished seven points behind Chelsea that season, believes retrospective action is warranted, stating, "If they admitted they broke the rules, the Premier League title was for the second-best team."

Chelsea has been fined by UEFA, the Premier League, and the FA, but Pochettino and others argue the punishment is insufficient compared to points deductions handed to clubs like Everton and Nottingham Forest for financial breaches. Hazard's impact in 2016-17 was significant: he started 36 league games, scoring 16 goals and providing five assists, directly contributing to key victories over West Ham, Southampton, and Manchester City.

However, Hazard had already been at Chelsea since 2012, raising questions about whether the 2016-17 title should be retroactively awarded to Spurs. The case adds pressure to ongoing financial scrutiny in English football, including Manchester City's pending 115 charges.