Mauricio Pochettino sparks controversy by denying Barcelona links and revealing a secret about Real Madrid

As Mauricio Pochettino approaches his first year in charge of the United States men’s national team, the Argentine coach reflected on moments that could have changed his career entirely. In a recent interview with El Chiringuito TV, Pochettino admitted that in 2018 he was close to joining Real Madrid—but a key decision by Tottenham’s chairman kept the deal from happening.

Pochettino, then head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, was enjoying a strong run in the Premier League. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Zinedine Zidane stepped down as Real Madrid manager, and Pochettino was among the candidates to replace him.

According to the Argentine, he gave his word to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that he would stay with Spurs until the club’s new stadium was completed. However, when Madrid came calling, he told Levy he would accept if he got the green light.

“Zidane left and, logically, there was the possibility of signing with Real Madrid. I told Levy that I would go if he gave his approval. I don’t know what happened after. Surely, he didn’t give the green light,” Pochettino revealed.

Instead, Madrid hired Julen Lopetegui, who was dismissed just a few months later. Pochettino went on to lead Tottenham for the 2018–19 campaign, his last before brief stints at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Now managing the U.S., he admitted that his career might have taken a completely different path had the Madrid move materialized.

No future at Barcelona

During the same interview, Pochettino also addressed speculation about one of Madrid’s fiercest rivals: FC Barcelona. The coach, who played and managed at Espanyol, was firm in his rejection of ever coaching Barça.

“My identification with Espanyol is total. People always say, ‘We’ll see if one day Barcelona offers you the job.’ But I can tell you now—I would never coach Barcelona,” he said.

Pochettino even went further, criticizing what he sees as an ideological stance tied to Barcelona’s motto: “More than a club.” “Every team has its culture. Barcelona is a great club, but I don’t share the ideas they want to sell. I think Espanyol is a much more independent and much more Catalan club than Barcelona,” he concluded.

Pochettino’s comments shine a light on two of Spain’s biggest clubs from a coach who has always been linked with LaLiga but never taken the leap. While he has not ruled out a future at the Santiago Bernabéu, his words make it clear that Barcelona will never be an option. For now, his focus remains on building a competitive U.S. team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.