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Sports News of Saturday, 23 May 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Mauricio Pochettino says yes to PL return

Mauricio Pochettino Mauricio Pochettino

Former-Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino, has said that he is ready to return to coaching and would not say no to the Premier League.

The Argentine was sacked by Tottenham in November 2019 after five and a half years at the club and was replaced with sacked Manchester United coach, Jose Mourinho.

The 48-year-old has since been linked with a move to Manchester United and lately Newcastle United as the new owners are reportedly willing to pay him £19m a year to take charge at St James' Park.

Speaking with Sky Sports, he said, "I love England. My idea is to keep living in London but at the same time I am open to different countries, to listen and see what happens."

Is the gardening leave period at Tottenham now over? If so, are you ready to return?

"I was ready before now. The most important thing in football is to move on quick, to adapt to the new reality. Of course it is painful when you leave a club after five and a half years, working so hard to develop and achieve objectives. But that is football. It goes by very quick. You need to move on. But we feel very well, that we have recovered from the not so good days. We are full of energy in our bodies, in our minds, to try and provide a new project with all our knowledge and show our passion in football."

How soon will it be before we see you back in a dugout?

"I don't know. In football, every minute counts. The most important thing is we are ready. We are open to listen and see what happens."

How is coronavirus impacting on potential job offers?

"It's difficult to know - there is a big question mark over how it is going to impact football. Of course, everyone can see how it is going to impact the economy, which massively affects the clubs. That is going to affect people involved in football - as little as possible I hope. The companies that provide football entertainment, they are suffering. Our responsibility is to understand the situation and show solidarity. In the end, we all participate in this business.

"I was listening to the chairman of the Bundesliga, he said that football was going to help the people to move on and distract them from this terrible virus. It has started to change the mentality in everyone, including mine. I was very scared at the beginning because the most important thing is your health and to protect our players, their families and all of the staff. That is why we have started to respectfully move on. I am very positive about finishing the Premier League and other leagues like La Liga and Serie A. We need to finish. That is going to benefit not only the clubs but also players and society, to begin to introduce ourselves into this new normality."

It was your progression with Tottenham that saw you linked with Manchester United in recent years, and the potential Newcastle owners being interested at the moment. What factors are important to you for your next job?

"I need to behave in the way that I did on my first day as a coach. There are two things that are most important - one is the people, the fans that are behind every club. That is the structure that keeps alive all the companies that provide the entertainment that is football. The other is the ideas of the clubs. Every single club and company have different cultures, different philosophies, different ways of working. They all have different plans for success. To be successful at one club you need to win the Champions League or Premier League, but for others it is to finish in the top four or six.

"In the end, when we are waiting for a new offer, and we are capable of providing what a club expects from us, we are going to be very happy. Then the important thing is like what happened at Tottenham, that we create a unique philosophy together.

"When you sign a contract, when you already have an offer from some club and are so happy, the people that offer the new contract - chairman, sporting director - they are your best friend. You are in love. But you know, we feel very proud because after five and a half years, I keep the same relationship with Daniel and all the people that were involved. Okay, we all feel disappointed that it finished like this, but that is football. We will always have a great relationship and be friends forever. The decision to sack me, to leave the club, it is not going to change the memories that we made together. This period was incredible - I was so happy to have the opportunity to share with it everyone working at the club."