Pochettino spotted with chairman of company linked with Tottenham takeover
Tottenham Hotspur fans want it to go well for Ange Postecoglou – and now there is one Europa League trophy-shaped thread left with which to defend him.
That belief in a long-awaited piece of silverware will either strengthen or fall by the end of Thursday night, with Postecoglou knowing his success and future at Spurs is likely to hinge on their quarter-final second leg at Eintracht Frankfurt (17 April).
It was under Mauricio Pochettino that Tottenham last enjoyed a memorable European journey, with that night in Amsterdam never to be forgotten before Liverpool overcame them in Madrid to lift their sixth Champions League.
Pochettino has recently been a name touted around to replace Postecoglou following an exit many deem inevitable, though he is currently overseeing the US men’s national team.
Pochettino pictured with Tottenham takeover-linked figure
Since suffering the sack from Spurs just months after the Champions League final in 2019, Pochettino, 53, has managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and now the American national side.
The Argentine could however be tempted back into club management sooner rather than later, and is currently priced as 5/2 favourite (Betfair) to succeed Postecoglou, with Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola (9/2) and Fulham boss Marco Silva (7/1) in his wake.
Pochettino’s Instagram story (16 April) has raised one or two eyebrows overnight, having posted a picture with Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Al-Khelaifi’s lucrative investment firm have previously indicated interest in a takeover deal from ENIC at Tottenham Hotspur, a move which would be thoroughly supported by the bulk of Spurs fans desperate to see the back of the current regime and notably Daniel Levy.
It was Levy who sacked Pochettino nearly six years ago from N17, seven games short of a 300-match milestone in charge. While some are excited by the link-up, the former boss did work for Al-Khelaifi between 2021 and 2022 with the Qatari acting as president of PSG.
The duo have evidently remained in close contact, and should a QSI deal pick up pace, the odds on Pochettino succeeding Postecoglou’s sorry spell could be even further slashed.
Spurs ship steady off the field, rudderless on it
Tottenham Hotspur are a well-oiled business operation, which is what many fans strive for when they see their clubs plunged into financial disarray – particularly prevalent with the ridiculous sums bandied around top-level football nowadays.
However, Spurs’ off-pitch benefits are outweighed by their failures on the grass, and fans have frankly had enough.
The opinion of Pochettino varies among who you ask across the support network – some still rave about the Argentine, while others are less fussed and would prefer an Iraola-type in the building.
Tottenham simply do not invest enough of their revenue into the squad – that’s the bottom line. Managers and head coaches are therefore shackled in what they try to do.
| Mauricio Pochettino | PLD | W | D | L | Win rate |
| Tottenham Hotspur (2014-2019) | 293 | 159 | 62 | 72 | 54.27% |
That’s not to divert from Postecoglou‘s shortcomings, because the buck stops with him on the field. But the calibre of players brought in does not tend to match that of what Spurs initially strive towards – and that comes down to financial incentives from Levy which are nowhere near as strong as from elsewhere.
And Thursday night could well decide which direction Tottenham move in next – and whether their European pull will stay intact any longer.