Mauricio Pochettino led Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019. Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says he misses "the world of football in England".

Pochettino is preparing to lead co-hosts the United States at this summer's World Cup following his appointment as head coach in September 2024. The Argentine has had three different spells in the Premier League, most recently leaving 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, having been appointed from Southampton.

"I love the country, its culture, the football culture," Pochettino said in an interview with French publication L'Equipe, external. "For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their abilities, it's the ideal place. You have to constantly give your best."

Pochettino ruled himself out of the running to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham last summer, saying a return to his former club at that point was "not realistic". He confirmed to L'Equipe that Spurs previously contacted him over a return after his first six months in Paris in 2021, along with "other very big clubs".

The United States are hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. He told BBC Sport last year that he was "so happy in America but also thinking one day to come back to the Premier League".

Former club Spurs are among the sides currently searching for their next permanent manager, as they face a fight to avoid relegation over the remaining seven games of the campaign.

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