Pochettino could have quit had Tottenham won the Champions League
Tottenham might well have been searching for a new manager had the outcome of the Champions League final been reversed.
Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he would have strongly considered leaving Tottenham had they won last season's Champions League final. Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid in June, ending the club's bid for a first European Cup. Tottenham defied expectations by reaching the final but manager Pochettino hinted at the time that returning with the trophy could make for a fitting swansong. The Argentine has formerly been linked with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Unfinished business
"When you touch glory, sometimes you behave and feel different and the players feel different," Pochettino explained. "The challenge becomes different. Of course, maybe with a different result after the final you can think 'okay, maybe it's a moment to step out of the club and give the club the possibility of a really new chapter with a new coaching staff. But I think after the final it was not really great to finish like this. I am not a person to avoid problems or difficult situations. I am more on the side of loving a big challenge, a difficult challenge, to rebuild that mentality so it's possible to have a similar season. That excites and motivates me a lot."
Juve friendly
Tottenham return to action for the first time since the Champions League final when they face Maurizio Sarri's Juventus in a pre-season friendly in Singapore on Sunday. They will do so with one new arrival, club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who is available, while Christian Eriksen is an outside chance to feature as he recovers from a "small procedure". Doubts exist over the Denmark international's future but Pochettino will not be lobbying club owner Daniel Levy for reinforcements.
"I told Daniel during the flight from London that I will be happy with the squad that you are going to provide me to work with," he said. "I'm always happy. That is my nature. I'm a happy man, working with 25 players, and we are going to have 25 players to work with."