Mauricio Pochettino currently has one of the biggest jobs in soccer, taking charge of the United States at a World Cup they are co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. The pressure is on the Argentine to have a real run in the competition, as this would help the sport grow in the country massively.
It was still a surprise that Pochettino took the job with the USMNT, especially as his CV listed clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain. The manager has, in the past, expressed that he would one day want to return to Tottenham.
Pochettino was quoted by Last Word On Spurs saying, "I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning to the Premier League one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again. If I could achieve only one more thing in my career? To win the Premier League and the Champions League. We were so close in Tottenham. I want to achieve this."
Pochettino took Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019. They beat Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Ajax en route, but fell to a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at the final hurdle. During the 2015/16 and 2016/17 Premier League seasons, Spurs challenged for the title, but eventually finished third and second, respectively.
Could Mauricio Pochettino return to Tottenham Hotspur?
Pochettino's contract with U.S. Soccer will run out after the World Cup next summer. It appears that he has too much interest in club soccer to stay on with the USMNT after the tournament. Depending on how Thomas Frank fares in the second half of the season, Spurs may be looking for a new manager.
Tottenham are currently 10th in the Premier League, and 11 points off the leaders, their North London rivals, Arsenal. Spurs were on a five-game winless run, but Frank managed a victory over his former club, Brentford, at the weekend to ease pressure on his position.
Pochettino has often been linked with the Manchester United job too. However, the Red Devils appear to be sticking with Ruben Amorim for now. He lasted just one season at Chelsea and often seemed to be too synonymous with Tottenham to be in the role. Tottenham is the club that he managed for 293 games, and where he is still highly regarded.
Pochettino may not have won a trophy with Spurs, losing in the Champions League and League Cup finals. However, he still has ambitions of winning big domestic competitions. The man who sacked Pochettino, Daniel Levy, is no longer at Spurs, which could open the door for the Argentine to return