On Friday news broke that City had been found guilty of the majority of 115 charges they faced, immediately sparking speculation they could face unprecedented sanctions.
Pochettino was in charge at Spurs between 2014 and 2019, including 2016-17 when Spurs finished second in the Premier League to City,
The Argentine, who was also at Southampton from 2013 to 2014 and Stamford Bridge in 2023-24 said it warped the view of history.
Pochettino told the Guardian, through an interpreter: "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?
"If it's true ... we've lived through a period of deception."
Pochettino said there was no punishment which could make up for the "damage" which had been caused.
"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."
LaLiga president Javier Tebas also weighed in saying on Tuesday that City should face the harshest punishments available, arguing the case should serve as a warning to clubs across Europe.
"I've been raising concerns about Manchester City for many years. I did so in 2017 at Soccerex. I said it then; neither City nor the Premier League at the time liked it," Tebas said.
"Now it has been shown that there was ongoing non-compliance dating back to 2009," he said.
"We're trying to make football sustainable and clean across all competitions. As many clubs are saying, titles were lost that shouldn't have been lost to other clubs. What has happened is very important, and we hope it marks a turning point, not just for the Premier League.
"The Manchester City case has implications across Europe, particularly regarding financial doping. There should be a punishment that sets an example."
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said on Saturday he remains "confident" of proving their innocence, while chief executive Ferran Soriano is understood to have told the European Football Clubs board meeting in Copenhagen on Monday that City disagreed with the ruling but the club were still fighting.
with Reuters
