Mauricio Pochettino is discovering his new world. Dreaming of the World Cup as a host nation. Joking about President Trump and the long wait for his green card.
Calling him football, and assuming how the United States could dominate sport in the next decade with its new National Training Center in Atlanta about to open and supercharge Lionel Messi's interest in the MLS.
Preparing for a semifinal of the Concacaf Nations League against Panama, in Los Angeles, on Thursday, and refusing to stop in itself, it could have been planning the qualifiers of England, if the events had been developed differently.
“Of course, England is like my home now,” it is an instinctive response when asked if he would have considered the role that Thomas Tuchel now occupied, during an interview with English journalists in London. 'It is my home, but it is true that I am Argentine and that can be controversial.
'I love England, and I know that the relationship between English and Argentine citizens is very good, but surely the story is there and can be controversial. An Argentine who defends the badge, the flag of England, I think is completely different from being here in the Premier League involved in a club. But it never happened, so it is not a situation that we must analyze.
The idea of ​​Pochettino for England always has traction because his friend and former colleague of Tottenham John McDermott is the technical director of the FA and directed the search for a successor to Gareth Southgate.
Mauricio Pochettino will lead the United States in its first World Cup at home since 1994 next year
President Donald Trump holds an executive order together with the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino,
“We maintain a very good relationship, but I think the decision to start the search for a coach was after signing,” says Pochettino, spreading the wisdom of the president of the Spurs, Daniel Levy. 'Daniel always told me that football is about time. When the United States arrived with the offer and we accepted, there was no other offer.
Pochettino agreed to become head of the United States in August. At that time, Lee Carsley was in an interim charge of England, and two more months would pass before Tuchel's appointment was confirmed.
Having left Chelsea at the end of the season, he wanted to quickly return to work and liked the appeal of something very different.
“We can be proud of the way we finish,” says Pochettino, reflecting on that season at Stamford Bridge, winning the last five to finish sixth and qualify for Europe. 'From where the team arrived the previous season and faced so many challenges.
'At first, suffering many problems. In the end, it does very well. The progression was massive. The way we feel now, was very positive for us. We thank Chelsea because he gave us a chance in which we learned a lot. '
Even the Great Pep Guardiola, he points out, will learn from the Manchester City adversity season. “I am 100 percent convinced that Guardiola today is a coach a lot, much better,” says Pochettino. 'It's hard for him to be a better coach, but now he's a coach much better. He is suffering things that we sometimes suffer at the beginning. Now he is a true manager, a true manager.
At 53, the Argentine has the healthy and happy brightness of a football manager released from the relentless tension of the Premier League. Two hours of conversation are dotted with cheerful stories and outbreak of laughter.
But there are no illusions. He knows that the pressure is on his way, with 340 million waiting for success in what is announced the largest year for sport in the United States, since they organized the World Cup in 1994.
Pochettino agreed to become a head of the United States in August, shortly after his mandate came to an end
The friend of Pochettino and former colleague of Tottenham, John McDermott (right) is the technical director of the FA and directed the search for a successor of Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel
Pochettino is the expensive Old World Employee of football, there to offer an American dream. However, any indication of VIP state has not yet appeared.
“They still did not give me the green card,” he shrugs with horror drill. We are waiting. The last time, in Los Angeles, we are waiting for an hour and a half in the tail. Well, huh? I am not complaining because if I complain, they will kill me, but I cannot feel this state. I will feel it if one day they give me the green card.
Perhaps the green card, with its rights to permanent residence in the United States and a more skilled route through passport control, comes with results. “I was listening to a conversation between our President Donald Trump and (president of FIFA) Gianni Infantino,” says Pochettino in another of his welcome vignettes to my world.
“The president asked:” Can we win the World Cup? “And Gianni said” yes “, but he disappointed this answer. He should say:” You need to ask your great coach, Pochettino, because surely, he can give a better opinion. “
That opinion? He thinks they have the opportunity to cause a good impression. That has a strong set of players, a mixture of youth and experience, good attitude and a collective spirit fed by its predecessor Gregg Berhalter.
He also points out that only eight countries have won the World Cup in almost a century of attempt.
“They know it will be a massive pressure,” he says. 'Our president likes to press. That will be good. And we are ready to deliver. We are a host and it is a country where mentality is about winning.
'In sport, everything that Americans are involved want to win. That is culture. It will be a pressure but welcome. We will feel the adrenaline we need to feel.
The 53 -year -old man knows the weight of the expectation on his shoulders while leading the United States to the tournament
Those involved hope that next year's World Cup will be a catalyst for the development of football in the United States, just like 94.
“It is growing a lot, but the United States is massive,” says Pochettino. 'We still need more. We can master football, football, maybe in 10 or 15 years. Maybe less. Five, seven. The potential is massive.
On the life of an international manager, Pochettino sought the advice of Gadra Martino, a former teammate and legend of his first club, Newell's old children in Rosario, Argentina, who has managed Mexico and Paraguay in addition to his native Argentina and a large number of clubs.
Time with players in the training field will be limited. As will be the talent group. “You need to be flexible,” said Pochettino, remembering a conversation with former Arsenal Chief, Orsene Wenger, in a charity game in Qatar.
“We agree that today it is easy to say: 'Oh, that is my philosophy,' said Pochettino. Your philosophy? But before deciding this, you need to see the characteristics of your players.
'The characteristic as a coach is how you feel and how you translate your energy into the team. In the end, you must have different plans depending on the circumstances of the team.
His words will not be lost in the followers of Tottenham, where Pochettino spent more than five years, taking them to a final of the Champions League and ending second in the Premier League before his dismissal in 2019.
He would welcome him with open arms, and he is sure he will return to the club's football. “When we don't know,” he says. 'Six months, one year, 10 years, in football I sign a contract, but after that we don't know it because you are not sure you spend the entire contract. The players know it, but the coaches do not.
Pochettino enjoyed great success with Tottenham and took the team to his first champions League final during his five -year spell
Their feelings for spurs are still strong with a touch of pending issues.
“At the bottom of my heart, I still feel the same,” he says. 'I would like to return one day. Not because of my ego, it is because my feeling is that I would one day to win with Tottenham. We were so close and it was very painful.
'We were involved in improving the facilities, the training field, the stadium. Do not sign a player for 18 months because the approach was in other things. I was involved in that. I agreed with that. The problem was that this type of trip creates a lot of friction for different reasons.
In addition, I made mistakes. The good thing is that when you are intelligent you learn from your mistakes. It's like when a relationship ends. I feel empty. I feel so disappointed. With everyone, but also with myself because I did not fix them well and when that happens it is part of my responsibility.
'Now Tottenham is a club with the expectation of winning because if you see the facilities, the training field or the stadium, you can now see that it is about winning trophies.
'That's why I would like one day to return with all the possibilities of building something special. If that does not happen, it does not happen. But that is my feeling, and did not change. It will always be a special club for me.
First, however, the American dream.