United States men’s national team (USMNT) head coach Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly emerged as a front-runner to become Tottenham Hotspur’s full-time boss this summer. But a pundit has insisted Pochettino could be the wrong appointment for Spurs.
USMNT Boss Told Joining Tottenham Could Be ‘Tricky’
After Thomas Frank was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur last Tuesday, the club is without a permanent head coach. They will be coached by former Juventus player and boss Igor Tudor on an interim basis until the end of the ongoing 2025-26 season.
During a recent interaction with GOAL, former Spurs forward Bobby Zamora suggested that the club should try to hire a head coach not involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“(Pochettino) can’t start until after the World Cup. Although he’s the fans’ favorite and they want him there, it’s going to be a tricky one. I think the likes of Pochettino would want time and a good pre-season. Whoever goes in there, he will want a whole pre-season. It’s hard because of the World Cup,” the former England international remarked.
Zamora, who scored just one goal in 18 total outings for Spurs in the 2003-04 season, also hinted that a late pre-season could negatively affect Spurs’ 2026-27 campaign.
“All of these players aren’t going to get back until the end of July… if a few of the boys get quite far. They will want a break… they will want two weeks off at least. It’s a tricky job for anyone. Pochettino obviously had a great time there. It didn’t end in the greatest way, but I can understand why the fans want him back,” Zamora continued.
Pochettino, 53, relished a decent five-year stint at Spurs between May 2014 and November 2019, helping the team reach the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. He also helped them finish second once and third twice in the Premier League.
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino Rates USMNT’s Chances at 2026 FIFA World Cup
When queried if the USMNT head coach would be enticed to resume his story at Tottenham after the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Zamora responded positively.
“He will. He has got fond memories there. It’s a huge club. The infrastructure of everything is second to none. It’s just that final part of the puzzle that they haven’t been able to solve over the last six or seven years. It just hasn’t clicked and found that understanding. I don’t understand what it is that is going to make it happen,” Zamora concluded.
Meanwhile, Pochettino is focused on leading the USMNT in its 12th FIFA World Cup. The ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain head coach’s side will take on Australia, Paraguay, and the UEFA Playoff C winner in Group D of the tournament, which ends on July 19.
