Tottenham’s season under Antonio Conte hasn’t been going as many had originally expected. The Italian came in the middle of the 2021/2022 season and changed the team’s fortunes by qualifying for the Champions League ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal; a competition that the club had not qualified for since 2019. After sticking with Conte, there was a sense that Spurs could not only win that long-awaited trophy, but also be outside challengers for the Premier League title.
However, those Premier League chances quickly evaporated and so have their hopes of winning a trophy. Domestically, they were eliminated by Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup and then by Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Meanwhile, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 stages of the Champions League by AC Milan who (despite their enormous history) had not reached the knockout stages of the competition since the 2011/2012 season. As a result, Conte’s future seems to be elsewhere as he still hasn’t renewed his contract, which concludes after this season, and the club doesn’t seem at all interested in keeping him around.
With all this, rumors have already begun circulating about potential replacements and the possibility that is most being mentioned is the return of Mauricio Pochettino. The former Spurs manager is being heavily linked to a return to the club where he was sacked in 2019. Despite this, he left on good terms and has never ruled out the idea of returning to Spurs. Whatever he decides to do will be down to him, but in my personal opinion, I believe it would be a mistake for Pochettino to return to Tottenham.
Here’s why.
Little to Gain, all to Lose
Only by seeing this title, I’m sure many will say the usual ” but he didn’t win a trophy at Spurs.” While that is true, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that what Mauricio Pochettino did at Tottenham was truly remarkable. Before signing, Spurs were an inconsistent team that had only qualified once for the Champions League since 1962 and hadn’t even finished ahead of Arsenal in the league since the 1994/1995 season; becoming known as St. Totteringham’s Day.
With a tight budget and needing to work with youth players, Poch turned them into Champions League regulars, qualifying for each edition since 2016 and even reaching the final in 2019. Since the 2016/2017 season, they finished ahead of Arsenal and were challenging for the league title in 2016 and 2017. Not to mention he turned the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Kyle Walker, and many more into some of the best players in the game.
While he will surely have that urge to win a trophy with Spurs, returns to former clubs where they enjoyed success tend to be very complicated. There have been some occasions that worked out, such as Mourinho at Chelsea or Capello and Ancelotti at Real Madrid. However, there have been many others where a second time around was not as successful as the first stint; and on some occasions, disastrous.
- Zinédine Zidane at Real Madrid
- Louis Van Gaal at Barcelona
- Leonardo Jardim at Monaco
- Max Allegri at Juventus
- Jupp Heynckes at Bayern Munich
Not only could Pochettino hurt his professional image, but he could also tarnish his reputation amongst Tottenham fans if he were to return.
Tottenham’s Expectations Are Different
Tottenham are not the same club they were when Mauricio Pochettino took over at the beginning of the 2014/2015 season. Before Poch, Spurs were outsiders to finish in the Champions Leagues positions. Now Champions League is no longer a hope, it’s a requirement. Then when they get into the Champions Leagues, it’s not only about getting out of the group. It’s also about being competitive and advancing as far as possible.
In the Premier League, while they’re not expected to win it, Spurs fans want them to finish as close as possible to the league winners and, on some occasions, make a challenge for the title when the opportunity presents itself. Not to mention they’re now playing in a brand new stadium and the fanbase has significantly increased over the years. Along with this, Spurs fans want the team to finally win a trophy. So if Pochettino returns, he’ll have to do more than just play well and finish in the Champions Leagues positions.
His Chances at a Big Club Would Take a Hit
Mauricio Pochettino had previously been linked with many top clubs, such as Real Madrid and Manchester United. Now, he’s at a stage where he needs to rebuild his managerial reputation, but going back to Tottenham would give a sense of returning to his comfort zone; on the back of his failed stint with PSG.
Even if his second stint with Spurs is better than the first, the top clubs will still be weary about giving him a chance because they’ll feel he can’t succeed outside of his comfort zone.
Pochettino will need to do what Manuel Pellegrini did when he was sacked from Real Madrid after only a season. Instead of returning to Villarreal (where he enjoy incredible success and would’ve gladly taken him back), he went to Málaga and made history by taking them to the Champions League.
After that, he signed for Manchester City where he helped the team win the Premier League title and reach the semifinals of the Champions League. If Pochettino wants another chance at a top club (if we can call PSG a top club), he’ll need to show not only that he’s learned from his mistakes, but that he can succeed outside of his comfort zone.
Javier Martinez is a seasoned veteran of football coverage and an expert on Spanish football. He has been covering world football for more than seven years with bylines at outlets such as The 18 and The Real Champs.