Mauricio Pochettino refuses to rule out Real Madrid move, dismisses Arsenal and Barcelona links
Pochettino has refused to ever entertain a move to Barcelona or Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino has acknowledged the fact that there is no guarantee over his future at Tottenham Hotspur but he would never manage at Arsenal and Barcelona by principle, given his allegiance to north London and Espanyol respectively. However, he has refused to rule out a move if Real Madrid come calling.
The Argentine is highly respected across Europe for his work in taking Spurs to within striking distance of the Premier League title in recent years as well as their sparkling Champions League form this year, which saw them finish unbeaten in a group which included Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The Argentine has been linked with a move to the likes of Barcelona, Real, PSG and the Argentina national job in the last 12 months following his brilliant showing at White Hart Lane but he has thus far snubbed these advances to finish the work he started in north London. Spurs are moving to a new stadium next season and Pochettino's presence will be vital in making sure that they can compete in that period.
Pochettino, however, has refused to dismiss a potential move to Real, who are currently under turmoil with manager Zinedine Zidane being given flak for his team's performance in the La Liga. The European champions are currently fourth in the table, a massive 19 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona, and dumped out of the Spanish Cup this week by little-known Leganes.
"You never know in football. That is the problem. It is a very unstable situation," Pochettino said, as quoted by the Mirror, when asked if he would consider a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, he would rather work on his farm in Argentina than move to Barcelona or Arsenal.
"I am never going to be manager of Barcelona or Arsenal, because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol. That is my decision — I prefer to work on my farm in Argentina than in some places.
"My commitment is massive in this club. I am working like I am going to be here for ever.But in the end, it is like the players, you never know what is going to happen in football. It is a lot of rumours about this, about that. Tomorrow, Daniel [Levy, Spurs' chairman] could have a bad night and say, 'Oh, I am going to sack Mauricio.' And then I look stupid saying I am not going to work in one place or another or another.
"It is different if it was Ferguson or Wenger, that they are symbols of the club. It is not a position like Ferguson or Wenger – they have full control of everything and they decide if they stay two more years or another year or retire."
