Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has refused to rule out the possibility of taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur again in the future.
The Argentine takes his Blues side to North London this Monday evening for a long-awaited Tottenham homecoming, four years after he was brutally given the boot by Daniel Levy.
In the months leading up to his departure, Pochettino had guided Tottenham to the 2018-19 Champions League final, but a dismal run of results saw Levy pull the trigger and appoint Jose Mourinho as his successor.
None of Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo nor Antonio Conte's hires worked out as expected for Spurs, but the Lilywhites are flying under Ange Postecoglou, who has set a new record of 26 points from his first 10 games in charge of a Premier League side.
Following Conte's acrimonious exit, Tottenham considered a plethora of candidates before setting on Celtic treble winner Postecoglou, whose contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium runs until 2027.
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Amid frustration in their managerial search, having failed to convince the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Arne Slot to take up the role, Tottenham were briefly tipped to consider a reunion with Pochettino for the 2023-24 season.
Such talk did not lead anywhere, though, as Pochettino - who had been out of work since being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 - took the poisoned chalice at Chelsea as Graham Potter's permanent successor.
The 51-year-old is tied down to the Blues until the end of the 2024-25 season, and he has outlined his desire to remain in charge of the West London giants for the remainder of his life.
Speaking to the media ahead of Monday's tantalising London derby, Pochettino said: "Hopefully, I can stay at Chelsea until I die! 20 or 25 years, but you never know in football," as quoted by The Telegraph.
However, the Argentine also insisted that he would consider a second stint in charge of Spurs if the opportunity presented itself at the right time, adding: "It Tottenham is a club, for sure if I'm not working... so maybe if they want me one day — why not?"
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While in charge at White Hart Lane and Wembley, Pochettino broke new ground with Tottenham, who finished second in the 2016-17 Premier League season with 86 points, and the Argentine was heralded for his role in the developments of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dele Alli.
Pochettino achieved 160 wins from his 293 matches in charge of Spurs, but he failed in his quest to deliver silverware to the Lilywhites faithful, who have not witnessed their side lift a major honour since the 2007-08 EFL Cup.
The 51-year-old ended his personal trophy drought at PSG with one Ligue 1 title, one Coupe de France and a Trophee des Champions, but his opening 13 games at the Chelsea helm have brought mixed results.
Pochettino boasts six wins, three draws and four defeats from his time on the Stamford Bridge touchline so far, masterminding just three Premier League victories to leave Chelsea 13th in the table at this juncture.
Ben Knapton
