United States men’s national team (USMNT) head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been a big talking point since Tottenham Hotspur fired their former manager Thomas Frank earlier on Feb. 11. Recently, he has opened up on whether the latest rumors about his return to Spurs are true, with his current team currently preparing for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino Downplays Tottenham Hotspur Reunion
During a radio interview with ‘Radiogaceta de los Deportes’ on RNE, Pochettino was queried about the recent speculation involving the Premier League club. The USMNT boss was quick to label the links as just ‘rumors’ before saying, “I’m always linked to clubs… to Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs.”
The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss continued, “In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well… people tend to fall back on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football’, or whatever it may be.”
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Pochettino, who was Spurs’ manager between May 2014 and November 2019, said he is open to new opportunities after helping the USMNT at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, on the United States. My contract runs until after the World Cup, so after that we’ll see what might happen… open to everything,” he said.
During his five-year stay at Tottenham, the 53-year-old rose to fame owing to his attractive style of play. He helped Spurs finish second once and third twice in the Premier League and also reach their first-ever UEFA Champions League final in the 2018-19 season.
Meanwhile, Pochettino is focused on leading the USMNT in its 12th FIFA World Cup in June, with his side set to compete in Group D. His team will take on Paraguay, Australia, and one of Turkey, Slovakia, Romania, or Kosovo in the group stage.
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On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur is currently managed by Igor Tudor and sits 16th in the Premier League table with just 29 points from 27 outings. And, Arsenal great Paul Merson has insisted that Spurs will lose their next Premier League clash.
“I don’t see anything but a Fulham win here. I just don’t see how Tottenham turn it around in this game. London derby, massive pressure on Spurs. I think Fulham playing without any pressure will help them win,” Merson wrote in his column for Sportskeeda.
Tottenham are scheduled to lock horns with Fulham at Craven Cottage this Sunday.
