Speculation has heated up on the chances of Mauricio Pochettino replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
After leaving Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino is currently looking for his next managerial challenge, but the Argentine has already ruled himself out of two prestigious positions in the football industry.
The former Chelsea manager claims that there is absolutely no chance that Mauricio Pochettino will manage Barcelona or Arsenal.
After just one season in charge, the Argentine abruptly resigned from his position at Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Tuesday, May 21. During that time, he led the Blues to sixth place in the Premier League, securing their return to Europe the following season.
As the 52-year-old looks for his next challenge in football, there has been a lot of speculation this week that Pochettino will replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. However, the man himself says that two specific clubs are out of the question.
The former defender, who spent nine years playing for Espanyol in two separate stints in the Spanish second division, proudly displayed his badge of loyalty to the team when rumors circulated back in 2017 linking him to a position at Barcelona.
Pochettino, the manager of Tottenham Hotspur at the time, dismissed any chance of taking over Arsenal due to his connections with their north London rivals, as well as any chance of becoming the manager of Barcelona due to his love for their crosstown rivals. The two clubs are bitter rivals.
When asked if he would replace Luis Enrique in 2017, he responded to the Guardian, “But I am a Espanyol supporter.” I don’t believe I have to say too much. It would be unfeasible for me to lead Arsenal in a few years if Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, fired me one day.
Pochettino previously admitted to never wanting to coach Barcelona and Arsenal due to his loyalty towards Espanyol and Tottenham Hotspur ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“I know how hard it is to be loyal and uphold your morals when playing football—with all of your heart and soul. However, loyalty is more important to me than being a manager or a player. I support Espanyol. I adore Spanish. Right now, it reminds me of Tottenham. Moving to Arsenal will one day not be feasible. It won’t be feasible.”
