Mauricio Pochettino has played down swirling links to the vacant permanent managerial role at his former club Tottenham Hotspur ahead of taking the United States men’s team to their home World Cup this summer.
Despite leaving in 2019 amid a run of disappointing form, the Argentine manager remains a well-loved presence in north London – and in spite of his season-long spell at rivals Chelsea for the 2023-24 campaign.
In the years since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium too, Pochettino has variously entertained or ruled out the chance of a second turn in the dugout.
But for fans currently fearing the drop down to the Championship following the sacking of Thomas Frank and interim appointment of Igor Tudor, the US men’s national team coach had a crumb of comfort to offer them when asked about the position on Wednesday.
‘There are always rumours, I’m always linked (to clubs),’ Pochettino told Spanish radio programme Radiogaceta de los Deportes. ‘To Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs.
‘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.
Mauricio Pochettino has not entirely stamped out speculation that he could one day return to Tottenham as head coach
‘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, right?’
Pochettino was invariably one of the names that sprung to mind following Frank’s departure at the start of the month, despite his ongoing preparations with the US national team.
But while an immediate appointment would have been impossible, the manager is out of contract after the tournament, and believed to be interested in a return to club football in the future.
Pochettino also remains based in England, which could further factor into his decision when he plots his next move.
He has made no secret of his ongoing connection to Tottenham too, where he oversaw a run to the Champions League final in 2018, and a second-place finish in the Premier League one season earlier.
Since leaving the club nearly seven years ago, Pochettino has managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, before joining up with the US team in September 2024.