USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino on Premier League return: “I would love to come back”

After months of dissatisfaction and sub-par results, Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with head coach Thomas Frank. His departure had seemed like the unavoidable outcome for some time now but it does leave Spurs with a major decision to make. Namely, who will replace him?

Tottenham will need someone to guide them through to the end of the 2025/26 season but could name an interim now and appoint a new long-term coach in the summer. If so, former coach Mauricio Pochettino could be available and he has indicated his desire to return to the Premier League. Tottenham fans were singing Pochettino’s name during Tuesday’s loss to Newcastle United and the majority would welcome back the coach who built the club’s best team of the modern era.

For now, Pochettino will lead the United States men’s national team for this summer’s World Cup on home soil. He was a big-name appointment for the USMNT program, bringing extensive experience of top-level European soccer. However with his USMNT contract up in the summer, could he be tempted by a return to Tottenham?

Speaking to the BBC in December, Pochettino made clear that he would like to return to England in the future. He said “The Premier League is the best in the world. Of course I miss it... I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.”

“Talking about the Premier League, and we are in London… to win the Premier League and the Champions League,” Pochettino continued. “We were so close in Tottenham. I want to achieve this. I am still young, I have the energy, experience and motivation to try in the future. Outside, to make my family feel proud — my sons, my wife, my dog, my horses, my mum and dad, my granddaughter.”

Whatever Pochettino’s long-term aims, it is extremely unlikely that he would desert the USMNT so close to the World Cup. This is his first stint in international management and the opportunity to lead a nation into a home tournament would be too great an opportunity to pass up. But if Spurs can wait until the summer for a long-term appointment, Pochettino could be tempted back to the club.

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