LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 19: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur gives his team instructions during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
I was just about to fly down to Mexico with my colleague Bharat Bhise when the news was announced that Tottenham had fired manager Mauricio Pochettino and replaced him with Jose Mourinho. Bharat is a Spurs fan like myself and it is fair to say that we were both shocked, and pretty angry. Now that the dust has settled it seems that Daniel Levy probably did make the right choice when he got rid of Pochettino, but that is not to say for a second that the manager should be remembered as anything else but spectacular. Pochettino will now have ahis pick of clubs around the world, so where will he end up next?
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have been in terrible form in the Bundesliga this year and that resulted in the sacking last month of manager Niko Kovac. They have installed a caretake manager and have said that he will be there until the winter break. This could be the perfect fit for Pochettino, and the timing will work out very well indeed, giving him enough time for a break, and enough time to get to know the players. There are similarities between Munich and Spurs and they would certainly enjoy Pochettino’s approach to promoting youth, pressing tactics and his ability to manage and inspire big game players.
Real Madrid
Mauricio Pochettino has openly said that he would never manage Barcelona because of his history with Espanyol, leaving Real Madrid as the team in Spain which looks most likely as Poch’s next destination. Madrid have made no secret of their interest in the Argentine and whilst he was at Spurs they even approached Daniel Levy, but were rebuffed. If Pochettino had concerns about the money that Daniel Levy wouldn’t spend, he will not have those same issues again under Florentino Perez, and he could also help to bring through the academy players who are faltering. Zinedine ZIdane’s job looks to be on shaky ground and the moment that he is gone we can expect to go after the Argentinean coach with real fervor.
Manchester United
Whilst we do expect Poch to come back to the Premier League, it would be surprising if he decided to choose another Premier League team as his next club. With this being said, surprises happen all the time in football and anything could happen. If he does come straight back the Premier League then he may very well end up at Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer constantly looks to be on borrowed time at the Red Devils and chairman Ed Woodward has made no secret of his desire to bring Pochettino to the club. For Pochettino he could walk into a job with unlimited resources and a vert good group of senior and young players. This would be a long shot, but it certainly makes a great deal of sense for all involved.
Where do you think Maurcio Pochettino’s next club will be?
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