Mauricio Pochettino says he feels “really sad” watching his former club, Tottenham Hotspur, embroiled in a relegation battle.
Pochettino, who guided Spurs to second place in the Premier League in 2016–17 and to the 2019 Champions League final during a five-year spell in north London, reflected on the club’s sharp decline as they sit 18th in the table — two points from safety with four games remaining.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, he said: “It’s really sad, I really love Tottenham, it’s going to be a part of my life, an important part of my life as a coach, my personal life too. It’s really sad because I know how the people are suffering there, inside the club and also the fans. It’s difficult to accept.” He said the current situation pains him because he knows how it affects people inside the club and supporters.
Pochettino recalled the challenging context of his tenure: overseeing the completion of the training ground and the new stadium, playing ‘home’ matches at Wembley and occasionally Milton Keynes, and enduring a prolonged transfer freeze that limited reinforcements. He noted he had hoped to sign players such as Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum — both of whom went to Liverpool and played in the 2-0 Champions League final victory over Spurs.
“We were in a situation that was amazing because I think the training ground, we finished the training ground, we finished the stadium… At the same time, we were very competitive,” he said. Pochettino stressed that those structural achievements came alongside competitive teams, but the club’s restrictions hampered their ability to take the final step. He highlighted an 18-month period without signings — a Premier League record — saying they had funds but lacked the type of investment needed to make a clear title push.
Five months after the Champions League final, then-chairman Daniel Levy dismissed Pochettino following a poor start to the next season; José Mourinho succeeded him. Pochettino later managed Paris Saint-Germain and returned to England as Chelsea head coach in May 2023, but he was sacked a year later after finishing sixth — one episode among several managerial changes under owners BlueCo, who recently dismissed Liam Rosenior after 23 games.
Asked about the apparent instability at Chelsea, Pochettino said he believes there is a plan but that it needs clearer communication. “I think they have a plan. Maybe it is completely different than it was in the past with (former owner Roman) Abramovich. It’s true it’s not easy for people to understand… I think they need to explain the plan,” he said.
Now preparing to manage the United States at the summer World Cup, which the US will co-host with Mexico and Canada, the 54-year-old said he would like to return to the Premier League someday. “One day yes, because I really like England. I think my profile – my human profile and my coaching profile – match very well with the Premier League,” he said.
Reflecting on what he seeks in future roles and why his Spurs tenure ended, Pochettino emphasised the importance of clarity. He wants to know the club’s reality, expectations and the specific tasks he would be asked to deliver. He believes Tottenham knew what they wanted from him from the start but that true competitiveness required time and different decisions. “The problem is when the assessment is not coming from inside the club, and the assessment comes from outside. And when people start to intoxicate things and say, no, you should win with this team,” he said, lamenting outside pressure and unrealistic expectations.