Tottenham legend Ricky Villa has made a public plea for the club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, to reappoint former manager Mauricio Pochettino before he is instated as Chelsea’s new boss. Pochettino is expected to take charge at Stamford Bridge this summer, which would mark his return to the Premier League after a year and a half with French giants Paris Saint-Germain. However, Villa, who was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame in 2008, believes that Pochettino should come back to Spurs instead.
The Argentine coach previously led Tottenham to three consecutive top three league finishes, including a second-place finish in the 2016/17 season, as well as guiding the team to their first-ever Champions League final in 2019. Pochettino spent five years at the club, where he built a strong culture and instilled a set of values that helped the team achieve success.
Villa’s plea comes at a difficult time for Tottenham, who have had three head coaches this season following the sacking of Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini in consecutive months. Ryan Mason was appointed as the club’s third head coach after a 6-1 thrashing against Newcastle, and Tottenham’s star striker, Harry Kane, recently had an “honest” talk with Levy about the club’s direction. Kane reminisced about Pochettino’s tenure at Tottenham, stating that he believes the team has lost some of its values and culture in recent years.
Villa believes that Pochettino could help Tottenham regain their former glory and urged Levy to reach out to the coach. Despite the fact that Pochettino has not been contacted by Spurs, Villa believes that the coach would be open to the idea of returning to the club if given the chance. However, with Pochettino expected to take charge at Chelsea, it remains to be seen whether he will return to Tottenham.
Villa’s public plea for Pochettino to return to Tottenham highlights the importance of having a strong culture and set of values within a team. Pochettino’s previous success at the club was not only down to his tactical acumen but also his ability to create a winning mentality and sense of togetherness within the squad. If Tottenham are to achieve success in the future, they will need to rediscover those values and culture that helped them reach new heights under Pochettino’s leadership.