Mauricio Pochettino: USA coach says he ‘misses’ the Premier League

Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham and Chelsea manager, said he misses “the world of football in England”.

Pochettino is preparing to lead the United States, hosts to the World Cup this summer, after being appointed head coach in September 2024.

The Argentine spent three different spells in the English Premier League, the last of which left Chelsea by mutual consent after one season in May 2024.

He spent five years at Tottenham and led the club to the Champions League final before being sacked in 2019, after being appointed from Southampton.

“I love this country, its culture and the culture of football,” Pochettino said in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe., external.

“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their abilities, this is the perfect place.

“You have to constantly give your best.”

Pochettino ruled himself out of the race to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham last summer, saying that a return to his former club at that stage was “unrealistic”.

He confirmed to L’Equipe that Tottenham had previously approached him about a return after his first six months in Paris in 2021, along with “other big clubs”.

The United States will host the 2026 World Cup finals alongside Canada and Mexico.

He told BBC Sport last year that he was “very happy in America but is also thinking about one day returning to the Premier League.”

Former club Tottenham are among the teams currently searching for their next permanent manager, as they face a battle to avoid relegation over the remaining seven matches of the season.