USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino has downplayed speculation linking him to the vacant managerial position at his former club, Tottenham Hotspur.
This follows Tottenham’s recent sacking of Ange Postecoglou on Friday.
Pochettino managed Spurs for five years starting in 2014, even leading them to the Champions League final, though he never secured a trophy with the North London team.
Despite having signed a two-year contract in September to coach the USA through the 2026 World Cup (which they are co-hosting), Pochettino’s name has frequently appeared among favourites for the Spurs job in bookmakers’ odds and various UK media reports.
When asked about these rumours on Saturday, after the USA’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Turkey, Pochettino dismissed the talk.
“After I left in 2019, every time that I was free and the position of manager or head coach at Tottenham Hotspur was vacant, my name appeared on the list,” Pochettino said. He added, “If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches on the list. I think, don’t be worried about that.”
While Pochettino has previously expressed his affection for Spurs and never ruled out a future return, he suggested that the current timing isn’t right for a second stint.
“If something happened, you for sure will see it, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it’s not real. It’s not realistic. And look at where I am, where we are,” he stated from the press room in Hartford, Connecticut, emphasising, “And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newell’s or Espanyol.”
Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal came just 16 days after he ended Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League, securing their first European title in 41 years and a Champions League spot. However, the former Celtic boss paid the price for Tottenham’s worst domestic season since 1976-77.
Meanwhile, the USA has now lost three consecutive matches, including previous defeats to Panama and Canada in March’s CONCACAF Nations League.
Despite the losses, Pochettino remained upbeat about his team’s improved attitude after recent criticisms.
He stressed, “This attitude I want to continue for the future until we arrive at the World Cup … that is the only way we can improve,” adding, “If I decide in September to have a different roster, what I want is the same level of commitment and attitude, not to complain about this and that.”
