Pochettino will return to Tottenham on Monday night after being fired four years earlier. He’s pondering retaking team leadership.
Spurs won the Premier League and advanced to the Champions League final for the second time in five years under Chelsea’s manager.
The Argentinian’s time included a dramatic shift to a gorgeous new stadium, so hearing him joyfully consider returning was shocking, even though he expected significant opposition from a fan base that had loved him.
He plans to stay at Spurs indefinitely and that his “emotional links and feelings” are “not going to be broken” by home fans’ jeering. The 51-year-old replied, “Who knows,” when asked if the team will win a title before he dies.
Pochettino set this goal in April 2020, six months after chairman Daniel Levy fired him. Like life, tomorrow is unpredictable. Enjoy the moment and never worry about what’s ahead in the future. Why not, if they want me and I’m unemployed?
Pochettino has been linked with a return to Spurs since November 2019, including before Ange Postecoglou’s appointment in June, when he was reportedly open to going after being fired by PSG last year.
His latest remarks may disappoint Chelsea fans. Pochettino said, “Hopefully I can stay here until I die!” and avoided offending either side of the London rivalry that will continue in the north on Monday.
“We cannot underestimate Chelsea and Tottenham fans,” he remarked. The Chelsea fans are aware of our experience at Tottenham and the Champions League and Battle of the Bridge.
Will we disguise our emotions? Not possible. I cannot forget everything from Tottenham—that would be stupid. I’ll play every game naturally to win. I want to appreciate a place where I helped create something wonderful. I am calm and wish to enjoy and hope for a wonderful night for us.”
After losing to Brentford, Chelsea are looking to win the Premier League again, but Pochettino knows it would be difficult against championship contenders.
The visitors can take confidence from winning four of their past six journeys to Spurs and the potential of skipper Reece James making a second straight start after playing 61 minutes of Wednesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Blackburn due to a hamstring issue.
“I want to win, I want to beat them,” Pochettino added, claiming he won’t go to the wrong dugout before kickoff on Monday like Ron Aktinson in the late 1990s.
“I chose the away dugout, so I know it well,” he remarked. “Right is close by, left is far away; I was there with the architects.”
