Meet Karina Grippaldi, Mauricio Pochettino’s wife who ex-Tottenham and PSG boss once famously banned from visiting White Hart Lane
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Mauricio Pochettino infamously banned his wife, Karina Grippaldi, from attending matches at White Hart Lane in 2017. The superstitious manager believed her presence could jinx his team's winning streak.
Speaking about it at the time, Pochettino said (via The Sun):
“In the last few weeks she has not been coming to White Hart Lane. So I said, ‘Better you stay at home because we keep winning.’”
As a result, Karina Grippaldi watched the games from home, including Tottenham's FA Cup match against Millwall and their 3-2 victory against Everton on March 5th, 2017.
After witnessing her husband's passionate celebration of Dele Alli's late goal against the Toffees on TV, Grippaldi notably sent Pochettino a message, questioning his actions. The former PSG boss revealed:
“I went mad. Then after the game I saw my phone and my wife had sent me a message saying, ‘Oh, what did you do? You lost your head. Never again’."
Pochettino admitted that his wife always shared her opinions on his decisions after the matches:
“When I arrive home she has been watching on TV and says why this or why that? She always gives an opinion — but always after, never before!”
Since that time, Mauricio Pochettino's career has experienced some twists and turns. After leaving Tottenham, he took the helm at PSG, but his stint there was short-lived. The Argentine manager is currently without a club.
Mauricio Pochettino could be set to reunite with PSG superstar Neymar at Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino, who is expected to be named the new Chelsea boss soon, has made it clear that he is a fond admirer of Neymar. The two previously worked together at PSG, and a reunion at Stamford Bridge might be on the cards, with the Blues interested in the winger.
As reported by 90min, the Blues are among the clubs monitoring Neymar's situation in Ligue 1, as his departure this summer is highly likely.
Given Mauricio Pochettino's high praise for Neymar in a 2021 interview with The Guardian, it's possible that he would support Chelsea's pursuit of the PSG star. The former Tottenham manager said of Neymar (via Express):
“It’s so easy with Neymar because you don’t need to do too much. From day one, he’s been very open to work. He’s very humble, he listens and always accepts all the instructions in a very good way. Brazilian players have something special inside. They love to play football because it’s like a dance."
Other Premier League clubs are also said to be aware of Neymar's situation, with his representatives indicating that a fee of over £75 million would be required to sign him.