Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is currently searching for a new manager after sacking Antonio Conte on Sunday. The Italian manager was dismissed less than 18 months into his tenure at the club, following a series of underwhelming performances and an indifferent run of results. Tottenham has been tipped to approach Mauricio Pochettino, who previously managed the club for just over five years.
Harry Kane, Tottenham’s star striker, had an impressive run under Pochettino. The Argentine manager led the club to four consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League, and a Champions League final appearance just months before his exit. After Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, Kane wrote on social media, “Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams. We’ve had some amazing moments in the last 5 and a half years that I will never forget. You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship. Good luck with your next chapter!”
Kane’s comments suggest that Pochettino had a significant impact on the team’s success during his time at Tottenham. As one of the most influential players in the team, his opinions and preferences cannot be overlooked. With just one year left on his current contract, the club is keen to retain him, and if he expresses his interest in bringing Pochettino back to the club, the board may sit up and listen.
Pochettino has been without a job since last summer after being dismissed by Paris Saint-Germain. Although he led the French club to the Ligue 1 title, he was let go after failing to take the team beyond the last 16 of the Champions League. However, a comment he made last year amid his links to Manchester United suggests that he could be open to managing Tottenham for a second time. “Football is about timing,” Pochettino explained on Radio Marca in November. “These are the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time. I don’t believe in trains passing only once. I think that sometimes you have to have the necessary patience and you have to know how to wait. The timing is handled by football, it is true that my name has always been associated with big clubs.”
Conte’s tenure at Tottenham ended in a miserable fashion, and he appeared to become increasingly disgruntled with the club. Following a 3-3 draw with Southampton earlier this month, he took aim at the Spurs players. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ultimately ended Conte’s reign on Sunday, urging everyone to “pull together” for the club and its loyal supporters.
In conclusion, Tottenham’s search for a new manager has already started, and the possibility of Pochettino returning to the club cannot be ignored. With Kane’s influence at the club and Pochettino’s past successes with Tottenham, the club may consider bringing the Argentine manager back to lead the team once again.