Pochettino open to Europe’s top-five leagues

Mauricio Pochettino says he is open to managing in any of Europe’s top-five leagues as he prepares to return to the game.

The 48-year-old Argentinie remains without a club after being sacked by Tottenham last November and has given an interview to Spanish newspaper El Pais amid the close-season.

He has reportedly turned down the jobs at Benfica and Monaco in recent months and he insists he and his team are looking for a club that fits their philosophy of the game.

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Mauricio Pochettino sat down with Sky Sports News during the coronavirus lockdown to talk about his future

Asked if they are looking for a club that will demand trophies, Pochettino said: “It is to find a club, president or people who go hand-in-hand with the ideas we have and that we believe can bring you closer to success. When that offer arrives, we will all say yes.

“The Premier League has taken advantage in the commercial, the marketing [sense]. But La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga are also very powerful, and similar.

“We adapted well to the Premier League, but we are open to new challenges and opening another horizon would be enriching.”

Pochettino recently posed in a Spurs t-shirt with his son Maurizio when he signed a new youth deal at the club

Pochettino also opened up a little further on his five-and-a-half years at Tottenham, which yielded no silverware but a Champions League final and four seasons in the Premier League’s top four.

“We live in a results environment where it seems that all the things that have a good result are the ones that serve,” he said. “But how do you measure what works or not? Only the one who wins or the one who exceeds expectations?

“After the Champions League final, four years in the top four, two years without signing [a player], a different management strategy was needed. Sometimes the vision of a coaching staff is not accepted by the club management.

“We anticipated what could happen. You need to fall, be down and then go up. But Tottenham made the decision to separate us after five-and-a-half years. I understand that it is a long time.”

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