Pochettino: I'd be stupid to say I'll never manage Real Madrid

Mauricio Pochettino says he is working at Tottenham as if he is “going to be here forever” – but he feels he would be stupid to rule out the possibility of managing a club like Real Madrid in future, because he could become jobless at any time.

With Zinedine Zidane under pressure at the Bernabeu, Pochettino is again being mentioned as a possible replacement for the Frenchman – and he was asked about his long-term future on Thursday.

The Spurs manager reiterated that he has a long-term plan for the Lilywhites and remains entirely focused on turning his visions into reality.

However, he added that it is not in his interests to publicly close the door on possible job opportunities elsewhere, because the life of a Premier League manager is so precarious.

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“It’s not down to me,” said Pochettino. “Always I work like I want to be here for the rest of my life. The way I work is thinking I’m going to stay forever in the same club. It’s the best way to commit to your job.

“But I am realistic and, today, you look in England from the beginning of the season – in six or seven months, there’s many changes on the Premier League benches.

“It’s not only [about] you. It’s about the results, the ideas, it’s the chairman. He can change, the chairman, and say ‘come on, out’.
“I’m so clear. I’m never going to be a manager of Barcelona or Arsenal because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol. I grew up in Newell’s Old Boys and will never manage Rosario Central. That is my decision because I prefer to go to work on my farm in Argentina than be in some places.

“My commitment is massive in this club and I’m working like I’m going to be here forever. But in the end it’s like the players – you never know what’s going to happen in football.

“Yes I know, there are a lot of rumours about this, about that. But tomorrow Daniel could have a bad night and say ‘oh I’m going to sack Mauricio’. And then I look stupid for saying now I’m not going to work in one place or another or another.

“You never know in football. That’s the problem. It’s a very unstable situation.

“It’s different if it was like [Sir Alex] Ferguson or [Arsene] Wenger, that are symbols of the club. It’s not a position like them. They had and have full control of everything, and they decide if they stay two more years or another year or retire.”

Earlier on Thursday, Pochettino expressed his irritation at comments made by Wenger this week.

The Arsenal manager said: “You (the media) celebrate some teams who have not been in a final for 25 years and yet you kill us even though we have won the FA Cup three times in the last four years.”

That was viewed in some quarters as a dig aimed at Tottenham and Liverpool, and Pochettino – who is yet to win a trophy in England – appeared to agree.

The Argentinian’s immediate response was to suggest that Wenger should “talk for himself and for Arsenal” before adding: “For me he is a special manager, but everyone sometimes makes a mistake, and for me he made a mistake to talk about us or a different team.”

Pochettino later returned to the issue, stating: “Going back to Liverpool or Tottenham’s prizes, this is what he (Wenger) probably has to understand – how difficult it is for a manager or coach with these clubs where you don’t have full control.

“That’s the difference to him. He has full control of everything. He decides whatever he wants to do.

“That’s why you guys [in the media] or the people appreciate when Liverpool or Spurs play well, because they are completely different scenarios for the managers.”

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