When Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea team visits Tottenham, he thinks it will be “really special” to return to a club with which he made “amazing memories”.
Prior to his dismissal in 2019, the Argentine managed Spurs for five years, taking the team to its first Champions League final that year.
On Monday night (20:00 GMT), he will visit the north London club with Chelsea for the first time in four years.
“It will be a happy day for me,” 51-year-old Pochettino stated on Friday.
“Although we are professionals, we are also people with feelings.
“Returning to a location where we made incredible moments together is incredibly special. I won’t lie; it’s something exceptional. It is accurate.
“I have the chance to return and visit many of the people who are still employed there, but leaving the club was a painful moment. It will be a thrilling occasion.
“It’s difficult because [I have] nearly 32 years with my wife and I don’t know if I remember or even if I had a girlfriend before,” Pochettino joked when asked if returning to league leaders Tottenham, who he considers title contenders this season, would feel like seeing a former partner.
After leaving Tottenham, former Espanyol manager Pochettino took over at Paris St-Germain in 2021, where he won the 2021 Coupe de France and the 2022 Ligue 1 championship, earning him his first managerial awards.
In July, he made his Premier League comeback with Chelsea, the six-time English champions. His mission was to turn around the Blues’ poor performance from the previous campaign, which ended in 12th place.
In what is known as the “Battle of the Bridge,” Pochettino’s Tottenham team lost their Premier League title challenge against Chelsea in 2016. The London team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to validate Leicester City’s incredible victory.
Even though Pochettino stated he is uncertain about the reception he would receive upon his return to the club as Chelsea manager, he emphasized that it will not have an impact on his own feelings for Tottenham.
Right now, I’m not going to say anything. We’re not able to guess until Monday,” Pochettino stated.
“I will respect the people and their feelings, and we cannot forget what we experienced together. It won’t make my feelings about a club where we had an amazing adventure any different.
“I constantly said that the only clubs I would not manage are Arsenal, because they are regarded as the worst enemy for Tottenham, and Barcelona, because of Espanyol.”
