Mauricio Pochettino Offers Biggest Hint Yet Over USMNT Future Post-World Cup

Former employers Tottenham face a huge decision over their next managerial appointment.

Mauricio Pochettino’s next move is unclear. | Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino confessed he misses soccer in England as reports of a potential return to Tottenham Hotspur continue to ramp up.

Pochettino, whose contract with the USMNT expires after the World Cup this summer, told L’Équipe: “I miss the world of football in England. I love the country, its culture, the football culture.

“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their abilities, it’s the ideal place. There, you have to constantly give your best.”

The chance to return to the Premier League is expected to arrive this summer as Spurs prepare to appoint a new permanent manager. Interim boss Igor Tudor will only lead the team until the summer, at which point the chance to reunite with Pochettino will become a reality.

---

Igor Tudor’s Tottenham Future Reconsidered

Tudor is yet to oversee a Premier League victory. | Robin Jones/Getty Images

West Ham United’s 2–0 defeat at Aston Villa meant Tottenham had the chance to allay unfathomable relegation fears by building on their point at Anfield and 3–2 victory over Atlético Madrid in the week.

Entering the all-important game against Forest, there was genuinely a sense that Tudor had weathered an early storm, with his team potentially turning a corner. However, the light at the end of the tunnel that manifested last week proved to be an oncoming train, with the nature of Sunday’s defeat once again thrusting the 47-year-old’s future into doubt, per The Telegraph.

Tottenham also confirmed on Monday that their interim manager’s father, Mario, has passed away, which is why Tudor wasn’t available for any media duties post-match.

Many will now wonder if the time is right to move on from the Croat, with Spurs’ next outing scheduled for April 12 after the international break and FA Cup quarterfinals.

---

Pochettino ‘Frontrunner’ for Tottenham Job This Summer

Pochettino remains a popular figure at Tottenham. | IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images

Some have encouraged the unpopular hierarchy, namely sporting director Johan Lange and CEO Vinai Venkatesham, to appoint a manager with close ties to the club in the event of Tudor’s swift exit.

Pochettino would be a dream appointment for many fans, but the idea of reuniting with the Argentine at this point in the season is unrealistic. His focus is on the USMNT and leading the team to a deep run at the World Cup.

Beyond the tournament, however, is a different story.

A separate report from The Telegraph names Pochettino as one of the “frontrunners” to replace Tudor at the end of the season, alongside former Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi, who would be interested in the job assuming Spurs can avoid relegation at the end of a nightmare campaign.

Crucially, a departure from USMNT duty has not yet been confirmed for Pochettino, but the former Spurs, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager has made no secret of his interest in a return to the club game, with a number of high-profile offers expected to arrive this summer.

---