Mauricio Pochettino insists he will ‘never manage Arsenal’ ahead of return to Tottenham
Mauricio Pochettino has firmly declared that he will ‘never manage Arsenal’ ahead of his return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as head coach of Chelsea on Monday. The Argentine spent five years in charge of Spurs, leading them to a Champions League final, but was sacked in 2019 before taking the Chelsea job this summer.
Pochettino was linked to the Arsenal job four years ago when the Gunners parted ways with Unai Emery. Asked on Friday what it would mean to beat his former side, Pochettino said: ‘Look, if you remember, I always said the club I will never manage is Arsenal. You know, because I considered them the worst enemy of Tottenham. It’s strange to come back because always the feeling after four years… it’s going to be, for me, a happy day.’
The 51-year-old also lauded Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, says it will be ‘weird’ to see Tottenham without Harry Kane, hopes his players can keep Son Heung-min quiet and feels his old club are genuine Premier League title contenders.
Pochettino was linked with a second spell in charge of Tottenham after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 but the 51-year-old admits a return was never on the cards. Quizzed if he could have returned as Spurs manager, Pochettino said: ‘No and after we finished our relationship with Paris Saint Germain, we wanted to be one year away from football and then the offer from Chelsea arrived.’
Speaking more generally about going back to Tottenham as head coach of Chelsea, Pochettino added: ‘It’s special to come back after four years to a place we have amazing memories. It’s a good opportunity to come back and see people who are still working there. An exciting moment.’
Mauricio Pochettino led Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019 (Picture: Getty)
Pochettino insists he will never manage Arsenal due to their rivalry with Tottenham and is looking forward to his return to his former club. He hopes his players can keep Son Heung-min quiet and believes Spurs are genuine Premier League title contenders. It will be an emotional return for Pochettino and one that will no doubt be remembered for years to come.