Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are set to meet this evening in the League Cup semi-final.
When Tottenham were challenging Leicester City for the Premier League title, Fabregas publicly stated that he wanted the Foxes to lift the trophy.
Pochettino now claims that those comments brought Tottenham’s squad together and made them a more united group.
Relations between Spurs and Chelsea have always been tense since though, with the rivalry having more animosity behind it in recent years.
Tottenham and Chelsea will meet again this evening in the League Cup and Pochettino has explained that he thinks Fabregas did Spurs a favour in the end.
“There is no Cesc Fàbregas now,” Pochettino said. “I always remember his comments. The players remember. When he said: ‘We would love that Leicester won the title.’ The relationship after that was much better between the players and the staff. It’s going to be a battle but a sporting battle.”
Fabregas was sold by Chelsea to Monaco earlier this month, with Maurizio Sarri reshaping his squad.
Tottenham go into tonight’s game with a 1-0 advantage to protect, after beating Chelsea at Wembley in the first-leg.
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