Mauricio Pochettino Reveals Tottenham Promise Blocked Real Madrid Manager Job in 2018
Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that his commitment to Tottenham Hotspur during their stadium construction prevented him from taking charge at Real Madrid in 2018.
Mauricio Pochettino says a promise to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy cost him the Real Madrid job after Zinedine Zidane’s 2018 exit.
When Zinedine Zidane stepped down after his first spell with Los Blancos, the Argentine coach was considered among the leading candidates to replace him. However, Pochettino explained that his promise to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to remain until the completion of the club’s new stadium stopped him from accepting the opportunity. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez instead appointed Julen Lopetegui, who was later replaced by Zidane in March 2019.
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Pochettino believed Levy might give him approval to pursue the Madrid role but ultimately was not granted permission. Reflecting on the missed opportunity during an interview with Chiringuito TV, the former Spurs boss stated: “Zidane is leaving and logically there’s the possibility of signing for Real Madrid. I had given Levy my word that I would stay until Tottenham’s new ground was finished. At that moment I told him that I would go to Madrid if Levy gave the OK. I don’t know what happened afterwards. Surely he didn’t give the OK.”
His Tottenham spell ended in 2019 after a poor run left the team 14th in the Premier League. Pochettino’s departure concluded a successful period where he secured four consecutive top-four finishes and led the club to their first-ever Champions League final. Two years later, he joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France before leaving in 2022.
Now leading the United States men’s national team, Pochettino has experienced mixed results since taking charge in 2024. The USMNT opened with a victory over Panama but later suffered heavy defeats to Mexico and in the CONCACAF Nations League. Despite setbacks, the squad reached the 2025 Gold Cup final under his leadership, with preparations focused on building a competitive team ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The Argentine coach summed up the Real Madrid episode by saying: “It wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t out of contract. But it’s never too late if the luck is right.”
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