Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team (53), is still missing Tottenham.
Pochettino noted in an interview with Sky Sports on the 18th (Korean time), "I mentioned in an interview when I left Tottenham that I wanted to return someday. I still feel the same way," adding, "I'm currently in the U.S., so I won't say more, but even after 5 or 6 years, I still hold that feeling. I want to return to Tottenham someday."
He revealed that he has maintained a good relationship with Chairman Daniel Levy even after leaving Tottenham. Pochettino said, "We spent nearly 6 years together and experienced a lot. It was a time filled with both joy and challenges, and there were also emotionally difficult moments. We parted on good terms. Professional matters and personal matters are separate. From the day after I left Tottenham until now, we have maintained a very good relationship."
Pochettino left Southampton in 2014 to become the head coach of Tottenham. He led the team for 5 and a half years until he was dismissed in November 2019, competing at the top of the Premier League. He finished as runner-up in the Premier League in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons and achieved the best result in the club's history by reaching the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final in the 2018-2019 season.
He showed strengths in developing young players, helping the growth of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Son Heung-min.
Under Pochettino's leadership, Son Heung-min struggled to adapt in his first season but established himself as a key scorer starting from the 2016-2017 season, recording double-digit goals. In particular, during the UCL quarterfinals in the 2018-2019 season, he scored multiple goals against Manchester City, greatly contributing to the team's advance to the final. At that time, Pochettino warmly embraced Son, praising him, "You did it. You are a world-class player."
However, during the 2019-2020 season, Tottenham under Pochettino fell into serious poor form. No significant reinforcements were made during the summer transfer market of 2019, and injuries plagued the team, leading to a steep decline in performance at the start of the season. They managed only 3 wins in 12 Premier League matches, dropping to 14th place. They also struggled in the Champions League.
Eventually, Tottenham dismissed Pochettino in November 2019 and appointed Jose Mourinho as the new head coach.
Pochettino is currently the head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team. Appointed in September last year, he has had a stable start with 5 wins in 6 matches.
The U.S. team he leads will face Panama in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League on the 20th.
Pochettino remains a notable coach on the European stage. After leaving Tottenham in 2019, he took charge of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France in 2021, winning the Ligue 1 title. He later became the head coach of Chelsea in the summer of 2023 but left the team after just one season.
He is highly regarded for his tactical flexibility and player management skills.
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