Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he has missed several opportunities to take charge of Real Madrid, but emphasized that his ambition with the Royal club remains intact and that “it is never too late.”
Pochettino left open the possibility of one day managing Real Madrid, as he spoke about the chances he had missed and his enduring desire in a conversation with Josep Pedrerol on the program El Cafelito.
The 53-year-old Argentine coach, who is currently in charge of the United States national team, revealed that he had come very close to joining Real Madrid both as a player and as a coach, but circumstances prevented it from happening.
“As a player, I had the chance, but it didn’t work out. As a coach, there were also a few times when the opportunity arose with Real Madrid, but in football things don’t always go as you wish,” Pochettino shared. He recalled an important moment when Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid, opening the door for him to move to the Bernabéu, but his commitment to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy caused negotiations to stall.
“I promised Levy I would stay until the new Tottenham stadium was completed… I even told him I would go to Madrid if he agreed. After that, I’m not sure what happened,” Pochettino added.
Despite the missed chances, Pochettino remains optimistic about a future opportunity with the Spanish giants: “It’s never too late if it’s meant to be.” The former manager of Southampton, PSG, and Chelsea—who led Tottenham from 2014 to 2019—stressed that he feels no regret or resentment, as contractual circumstances at the time limited his options: “I don’t know what Florentino Pérez thought, but the decision back then was not in my hands.”
Speaking about his former pupil Kylian Mbappé, the Argentine coach added: “Since he was a child, he always dreamed of playing for Real Madrid—I knew that. Now he is grown. Sometimes, to fulfill a dream, one must break a promise. I was the coach who witnessed that young boy come to me seeking advice.”