Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino namedrops Arsenal and Barcelona as he names the clubs that he would never manage in his career
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino recently reminded everyone that he had said that he won't ever manage Arsenal or Barcelona in the past.
The Blues are set to visit rivals and Pochettino's former club Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Monday, November 6. This would be the Argentine's first visit to the club as manager after being sacked in 2019.
Pochettino had an excellent five-year spell with Spurs. While he couldn't win a trophy with them, he led them to a UEFA Champions League final and a couple of Premier League title races.
In a pre-match press conference, the now-Chelsea boss explained his feelings about returning to the club after four years. He also clarified that he had said that he wouldn't manage Arsenal or Barcelona, who are the direct city rivals of Tottenham and Espanyol. The Argentine played for Espanyol for two years and also managed them for three years.
Pochettino said (via Fabrizio Romano):
“I said the only teams I would never manage are Arsenal and Barcelona”.
“It is a strange feeling to come back at Spurs after four years… but it’s gonna be a happy day. I feel Spurs can really win the league, they’re doing excellent job”.
As per Metro, a then-unemployed Pochettino was hoping for Tottenham to contact him after Antonio Conte's sacking last season. Spurs, however, chose to sign Ange Postecoglou instead and Pochettino eventually joined Chelsea.
A look at Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino's time at Tottenham
Spurs haven't won a trophy since their Carabao Cup in 2008 but they certainly looked to break that dire run under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine joined the north London side from Southampton in 2014 and finished fifth in the Premier League that season. He then led them to a third-placed finish in the next season when Leicester City shockingly won the league.
Tottenham were again in the title mix next season as Chelsea beat them by seven points. They finished third and fourth in the next two seasons respectively.
Pochettino also led Spurs to the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool. The Argentine was widely credited for his attacking style of play and developing young players like Harry Kane, Dele and Kieran Trippier.
He had an overall record of 160 wins, 60 draws, and 73 defeats in 293 games for the north London side.
Pochettino was eventually sacked in November 2019 after a string of poor results and replaced by Jose Mourinho.