Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino this afternoon spoke openly regarding the links between he and Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Spurs stint
Argentine tactician Pochettino made the move to North London in the summer of 2014, on the back of an impressive 18-month spell in charge of Southampton.
And the 47-year-old has since gone on to establish himself as one of English football’s most highly-regarded managers.
Despite Pochettino having splashed out only a fraction of the net spending totted up by a number of his Premier League rivals, the last 3 campaigns have seen Spurs finish in 3rd, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the English top-flight table.
In addition, the capital outfit have begun to flex their muscle in Europe over the last couple of seasons, with Tottenham having improved on their last-16 exit from the Champions League last season with a 4-0 aggregate demolition of Borussia Dortmund over the last month to clinch a quarter-final berth this time around.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on February 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
‘Don’t look at things long-term’
As such, the steady rise of Spurs under the guidance of their gifted tactician has inevitably seen Pochettino linked with a move to another of European football’s heavyweights.
The two clubs most persistently-touted as a potential destination for the South American have been Manchester United and Real Madrid.
As such, with the managerial hot-seat at the Bernabeu having of course been one of the talking points of European football over the last couple of weeks, with Zinedine Zidane having returned to replace Santi Solari on the bench in the Spanish capital, Pochettino was this afternoon questioned on the links between he and the soon-to-be dethroned European champions.
And the Spurs boss was surprisingly open with his response:
‘I don’t have the feeling of having missed the Madrid train,’ Pochettino told reporters at the Mediterranean International Cup.
‘I don’t look at things long-term. I am happy and I have a contract for another four seasons.’
When quizzed on whether he had been contacted by Los Blancos before Zidane’s appointment last week, Poch continued:
‘Did they call me? You are trying to get me into trouble.’
‘There are always rumours. Not only about myself but about other players and coaches. But 90 per cent of them are fake.’
Finally, the former Argentinian international was also keen to reiterate his happiness in North London:
‘I am happy at Tottenham.’
‘This club has a different philosophy now and we are very motivated by the Champions League and moving into the new stadium.’
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