The 46-year-old has spoken of wanting to manage Argentina in future and sees the prospect of being in Serie A as “a wonderful experience”.
Mauricio Pochettino has been a sensation at Tottenham Hotspur since his arrival in 2014, turning a side that seldom claimed a top-four Premier League finish into one that sealed a top-three spot for three seasons in a row.
Fan opinion towards the 46-year-old is largely unanimous – most Spurs supporters cannot get enough of their manager and are hoping for a long-term tenure in north London eventually culminating in silverware.
As an Argentine of Italian descent who spent most of his playing career and early managerial career in Spain, Pochettino is very much expected to talk positively about some or all of their football cultures.
However, the state of contemporary football, fuelled by social media and 24-hour news at the touch of a button, means any positive discussion from a player or manager towards a different club or country could potentially be interpreted as an overture towards a move away.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League meeting with Inter Milan, Pochettino is quoted by the Evening Standard as saying: “My contract expires in four-and-a-half years – if [Daniel] Levy does not fire me first!
“Seriously, today I see myself here. I dream of winning a trophy with Tottenham, maybe the Premier League in our new stadium.
“In the future to also manage the Argentine team is my desire. The important thing is to be happy and I am right now. Me in Serie A? I have Italian origins and it would be a wonderful experience.”
Pochettino’s comments regarding his desire to manage in Italy one day and discussing his Italian roots should come as no immediate concern to Lilywhites fans, because he explicitly stated that he is happy at Tottenham and remains eager to claim the biggest prize in English football with his current club.
As an Argentine who has represented the Albiceleste at senior level, there would be more eyebrows raised among his compatriots had he not stated that he wanted to manage the national team – and because he’s just 46, he is still very young in management terms, so he has plenty of time to achieve his ambitions.
So Spurs fans should have little to worry about at this stage, as Pochettino appears more than eager not to leave the Spurs project half-baked – and the way the team is playing and developing, a major trophy could be on its way to the new stadium sooner than predicted.
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