Tottenham Boss Pochettino In Defining Champions League Moment
12th February 2019
Spurs have never been past the last 16 of either the Champions League or the Europa League since Pochettino arrived from Southampton in May 2014
- Mauricio Pochettino faces a defining moment in his Tottenham reign as the in-demand Argentine tries to keep his bid for a first major prize alive against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League
- Pochettino has taken to defending his failure to win silverware in almost five years at Tottenham by insisting he values qualification for Europe's elite club competition more highly than success in the domestic cups
- Pochettino, yet to win a trophy in his managerial career, has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United at the end of the season
LONDON, United Kingdom- Mauricio Pochettino faces a defining moment in his Tottenham reign as
the in-demand Argentine tries to keep his bid for a first major prize alive
against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Pochettino has taken
to defending his failure to win silverware in almost five years at Tottenham by
insisting he values qualification for Europe's elite club competition more
highly than success in the domestic cups.
But for all of
Pochettino's protestations that reaching the Champions League is his primary
goal, that claim rings a little hollow when they never make it to the business
end of the tournament.
Tottenham have never
been past the last 16 of either the Champions League or the Europa League since
Pochettino arrived from Southampton in May 2014.
Now Bundesliga
leaders Dortmund, who visit Wembley for the Champions League last-16 first leg
on Wednesday, stand between Pochettino and his first European quarter-final in
what could his last season with the north London club.
READ
ALSO: Resurgent KCB Break Into SPL Top 10, Ochieng' Rescues Point For Ulinzi
Pochettino, yet to
win a trophy in his managerial career, has been strongly linked with a move to
Manchester United at the end of the season.
If that mooted deal
may now be less of a sure thing given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's remarkable impact
as interim boss at Old Trafford, there is little doubt Pochettino will still be
a man in demand, with Real Madrid also believed to be interested in his
services.
Derided as serial
underachievers when they struggled to break into the Premier League's top four,
Pochettino has made Tottenham into Champions League mainstays capable of
ruffling the feathers of Europe's aristocracy.
"We feel so
proud and with all the circumstances the team is doing fantastically, the
performance of the squad is unbelievable," Pochettino said.
"We are showing
great character and very good quality, fighting against big sides and being in
a position that's very close to the top.
"We hope to
keep going in the same direction, to fight for big things."
But for all their
undoubted growth in the Pochettino era, there remains a nagging feeling of
unfulfilled potential about Tottenham, who have won only three cups in the past
28 years.
READ
ALSO: Oktay, Mbungo Pick Positives From Colourful Mashemeji Derby
Failure to land a
big prize with the generation of Tottenham stars he has cultivated so astutely,
including Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min, would be
considered a missed opportunity.
Tottenham have
finished in the Premier League's top three for the past three seasons and they
retain an outside chance of winning the title this campaign.
But their poor
record in domestic cups under Pochettino is a significant blemish and
Tottenham's European exploits have been equally confounding.
Pochettino's first
season featured a tame Europa League last-32 defeat against Fiorentina and the
following year they were outclassed by Dortmund in the last 16 of the same
competition.
His maiden voyage in
the Champions League was even more rocky as Tottenham failed to qualify from
the group stage.
Finally hitting
their stride last season, Spurs enjoyed a memorable 3-1 win over European
champions Real Madrid in the group stage and they also drew in Madrid and twice
beat Dortmund.
READ
ALSO: Man United Legend Paul Scholes Begins Managerial Career As Oldham Coach
But as the pressure
mounted Tottenham melted, blowing the lead in the last-16 second leg against
Juventus as two second-half goals sent them crashing out.
Vexed by mounting
criticism following recent exits from the FA and League Cups, Pochettino said
chairman Daniel Levy told him his brief was to finish in the top four while the
club build their long-delayed stadium.
Although Spurs look set for another top-four finish, it would still be a source of angst among Tottenham fans if Pochettino departs without lifting a single trophy.