Mauricio Pochettino says he “cannot lie” about his relationship with Chelsea not yet being as strong as the one he forged at Tottenham during his time there.
And while his intention is to be at Stamford Bridge for many years to come, he admits he would be open to managing Spurs again at some point should circumstances change.
The Argentine returns to his former club for the first time as an opposing manager on Monday night.
The London derby offers Pochettino and his staff a chance to meet people he spent five years working with during his ascent to stardom in English football.
Asked whether he could ever see himself back in north London, Pochettino said: “Who knows? It’s like life, you never know what is going to happen tomorrow.
“We need to enjoy today and not look too much in the future, in the long term. But, why not?”
Pochettino could still be booed by supporters despite reaching the Champions League final and helping to build the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It is likely seeing Pochettino in Chelsea colours will test the relationship he built up with Spurs fans due to the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, but he doesn’t see it as a barrier to an eventual return.
“Why? Hopefully, I can stay here until I die – 20 or 25 years, but you never know in football. For sure, if I’m not working, maybe if they want me one day… Why not?”
Pochettino was much admired at Spurs but he has struggled to build such a bond in his early days at Chelsea. He was then asked whether he feels he could “love” Chelsea like he did Tottenham, responding: “After four months? I cannot lie [it is not the same feeling],” he said.
“I hope we can arrive on the same level that I had at Tottenham because then it would mean we are doing well here. Of course, I expect one day to be on the same level but I cannot lie, at the moment, no. It is a tough situation.”
Chelsea have dropped into the bottom half of the table but Ange Postegcolou’s side would go back to the top of the table with a win.
Against that backdrop, Pochettino’s kind words risk angering some Chelsea fans but he explained he simply wanted to be honest. “We need to be natural and not be fake,” he said.
“I don’t want to be a hypocrite and say something I do not feel or that we are still in the process of creating. I am just going to be natural and enjoy a great game, which I want to win.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/fi7xVkF
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