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Football

02nd Nov 2020

Mauricio Pochettino insists he’s ready to return to football management

Simon Lloyd

Pochettino could be back soon after a year out of the game

Mauricio Pochettino has made it perfectly clear he is ready to make a return to football management.

Nearly a year has passed since the Argentine was dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur. In that time he has regularly been linked with with a return, with speculation that he is still highly regarded by Manchester United never too far away.

Appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Pochettino was asked almost instantly if he felt ready to make a return.

“I’m always ready to be involved in the game,” he responded. “I love football. It’s my passion, not my job.

“It’s not a stress when you are working. It’s not a stress when you are going into the training ground, it’s not a stress to prepare a team to play…”

Pochettino first arrived in English football in 2013 when he was named manager of Southampton. After just one season at St. Mary’s, he took charge of Spurs, guiding the team to the cusp of Champions League glory in 2019.

The former Argentina international was dismissed last season after Spurs failed to replicate the form that had seen them reach the Champions League final against Liverpool. He was replaced by Jose Mourinho and has been out of work since then.

Manchester United’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon has again seen reports claim Pochettino could move to Old Trafford if the 20-time English champions decide to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the weeks ahead.

Pochettino was also strongly linked with Newcastle United earlier in the year before a Saudi-backed takeover of the club collapsed. He is also believed to be one of two options considered by Manchester City if Pep Guardiola does not extend his current contract at The Etihad.