Spurs manager Pochettino has been repeatedly linked with taking over at Barcelona throughout his managerial career.
John Hartson has taken to Twitter to applaud Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino’s loyalty after the Argentine’s recent comments when asked about managing Spanish side Barcelona.
Pochettino has been repeatedly linked with a move to the La Liga giants as he continues to impress as manager at Spurs, with the two sides set to meet in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
But after managing and playing for Barcelona’s local rivals Espanyol, Pochettino said – as quoted by Sky Sports – that he could never manage Lionel Messi and co. due to his loyalty to his former side.
“[Facing Barca] motivates me, being an Espanyol fan,” Pochettino said. “It is more than understood [that I will never take over]. My path and that of Barcelona are different, opposite directions. Coaching there would be impossible.”
Former West Ham United and Arsenal striker Hartson put rivalry aside to applaud Pochettino for his comments, praising the ex-Paris Saint-Germain defender for his “integrity and morals”.
Pochettino remains a fan favourite among Spurs fans despite failing to win a trophy since taking over in the summer of 2014 at Spurs. He has a contract until 2023, which is believed to be worth £165,000 a week or £8.5m a year (Times).
Tottenham play host to Ernesto Valverde’s side on Wednesday night, as they look to reignite their Champions League group stage campaign which saw them lose to Inter Milan in their first outing – despite being in the latter stages.
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