Mauricio Pochettino has revealed he would have been willing to return to Tottenham Hotspur this past summer regardless of the circumstances, insisting his bond with the north London club remains unbroken even as he settles into a new long-term deal with the United States national team.
Speaking about the chain of events that unfolded after Spurs dismissed Thomas Frank in February, the 54-year-old Argentine explained that timing repeatedly worked against a reunion. Tottenham initially handed the reins to Igor Tudor on an interim basis, intending to survey the managerial market more thoroughly by season's end. Because Pochettino remained contracted to US Soccer through the World Cup, any approach would have had to wait.
When Tudor's tenure faltered — leaving the club just a point above the relegation zone with seven matches remaining — Spurs turned to Roberto De Zerbi, who had originally rebuffed them following Frank's exit but this time accepted a substantial long-term proposal. That left Pochettino, once again, on the outside looking in.
"The problem was that the timings were never the best," Pochettino said. "When I was free, I never received a contact and then when I was working, I received a contact but I cannot make the decision to come back. It was a little bit unlucky. Maybe one day the stars will align and it can happen. If I was free, of course, I come. But I wasn't free. I was preparing the World Cup."
Asked directly whether he would have accepted the job even amid relegation fears, Pochettino did not hesitate. "Yes, of course," he said. "Tottenham … it's the only club that always I am open to help. In whatever division."
This is far from the first time Pochettino's name has been tied to a major vacancy without a move materializing. He was strongly linked to Real Madrid in 2017 before Zinedine Zidane's surprise resignation, and Manchester United considered him on multiple occasions — after sacking Louis van Gaal, following José Mourinho's dismissal, and prior to appointing Erik ten Hag. He was also mentioned as a candidate to succeed Gareth Southgate with England, a process that ultimately led the FA to Thomas Tuchel, though Pochettino says his commitment to the US was already made by the time that search began in earnest.
On the subject of potentially managing England one day, given his Argentine roots and the historical sensitivities tied to the Falklands conflict, Pochettino was open rather than dismissive. "Maybe, yes," he said, adding a caveat that his current focus is entirely on the US setup through the 2030 World Cup, having signed a fresh four-year contract in August. "Not now. If I am free [in the future]."
He reflected on his affection for England and its footballing culture, noting the shared passion between Argentine and English supporters, and confirmed he still keeps a family home in north London.
Pochettino also touched on Tottenham's boardroom shake-up, with longtime chairman Daniel Levy — the man who sacked him in 2019 — himself departing the club last September. Despite the history between them, Pochettino said he holds no grudge and sympathizes with how Levy must have felt upon leaving.
"I think he feels like I did when I was sacked," Pochettino said. "That was really, really tough for me... Of course, I am not happy that now he feels the same because I am not a person who has bad feelings. But yes, it's difficult for him and his family and I am so sorry for him."
He also praised former player Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich, as a worthy contender for this year's Ballon d'Or, and expressed satisfaction that De Zerbi has been backed with significant transfer funds at Spurs — resources he says he could only have dreamed of during his own tenure.
With the World Cup now behind him — a campaign that included impressive wins over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before a disappointing round-of-16 exit to Belgium — Pochettino says he remains fully focused on building something lasting with the United States, even as his heart continues to wander back to White Hart Lane.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.