Tottenham Fans Send Clear Pochettino Message with Chelsea Gesture

Mauricio Pochettino received a warm welcome from Tottenham fans as he returned to the club for the first time as Chelsea manager. The atmosphere was electric and fans applauded him. Pochettino spoke about his emotional return and expressed openness to managing Tottenham again in the future.

Mauricio Pochettino made his return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since leaving the club, and he was met with a warm reception from the fans. Despite his previous comments about not expecting a friendly welcome, Pochettino received applause from the home supporters. He joked about the reception, saying that it was good because there were very few people in the stadium. He described the night as emotional and expressed his excitement about seeing people he used to work with.

There was no animosity from the fans who used to sing his name, as a group of supporters behind the away dugout stood up and applauded him as he walked out onto the pitch. The atmosphere before the match was electric, drowning out any potential boos that may have been directed at him.

Before the game, Pochettino spoke about his hopes for the occasion, saying that it was a good opportunity for him to come back and see people he had worked with. He described it as an exciting moment.

Pochettino is widely regarded as the best manager in Tottenham's modern history. During his time at the club, he established them as consistent top-four challengers and achieved success despite working with a limited budget. He reached a League Cup final, a semi-final, and an FA Cup semi-final, as well as the Champions League final before eventually being sacked.

When asked about the potential reaction from the fans, Pochettino said that he would respect how they expressed themselves. He emphasized the importance of the memories and experiences he shared with the club and its supporters.

Pochettino's return came as his current team, Chelsea, sat in 13th place in the league, already 14 points behind Tottenham's new head coach, Ange Postecoglou. Some Tottenham fans had called for Pochettino to return as manager, but it was Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital who acted swiftly to bring him to Chelsea.

Pochettino spoke about the possibility of returning to Tottenham if he had been given the opportunity. He explained that the timing was never right during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. He also revealed that he and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy are still on good terms and that they exchanged texts when he joined Chelsea.

Despite taking on the Chelsea job, Pochettino expressed openness to returning to Tottenham in the future. He compared it to managing clubs like Southampton, Espanyol, or Newell's Old Boys, saying that he never knows what the future holds. He mentioned the possibility of managing Newell's Old Boys in Argentina as a way to end his career.

Pochettino concluded by expressing his desire to stay at Chelsea for a long time but acknowledged that in football, anything can happen. He said that if he is not working and Tottenham wants him one day, he would consider returning to the club.

It remains unclear how Pochettino would be received if he were to return to Tottenham in the future. However, the warm welcome received by former Tottenham managers Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte when they managed Chelsea after Pochettino's departure may provide some insight into the fans' feelings.