After leading Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final, Mauricio Pochettino revealed he considered leaving the club earlier that season. He said he felt his work was done and was close to resigning before ultimately deciding to stay.

After taking Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final in 2019, manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that he almost left the club a year earlier. He had been offered the managerial position at Real Madrid but ultimately turned it down.
The Opportunity to Manage Real Madrid
Pochettino, who had been in charge of Spurs for over four years at the time, was a top candidate to replace Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid’s manager in 2018. Zidane had just led Madrid to their third consecutive Champions League title, and the opportunity was seen as a massive step up for Pochettino. However, the Argentine manager decided to stay in North London, honoring a promise he had made to Tottenham’s then-chairman, Daniel Levy. Pochettino had committed to remaining with the club until their new stadium was completed, a project that was a key part of the club’s long-term vision.
A Period of Transformation at Spurs
Pochettino’s tenure at Tottenham marked a significant period of change for the club. Before his arrival, Spurs were not considered a consistent top-four team in the Premier League. Pochettino changed that, guiding them to four consecutive Champions League qualifications. He also led the team to the League Cup final in his first season. Despite these achievements, Pochettino never won a major trophy with Tottenham, a fact that was often brought up by critics. He did, however, come very close, most notably in the 2019 Champions League final.
The Aftermath of Staying
By staying at Tottenham, Pochettino missed the chance to manage a Real Madrid team that had just dominated Europe. Many believe that had he taken the job, he would have had a better chance of winning the Champions League. His decision to remain with Spurs paid off in a different way, as he led the club to its first-ever Champions League final just a year later. However, the success was short-lived. Following the final, Tottenham’s form declined sharply, and Pochettino was sacked in November 2019 after a series of humiliating defeats.
The Argentine coach would later get another chance to manage a top European club when he was hired by PSG, but his time in France did not go as planned. While Tottenham would eventually win silverware under a different manager, Ange Postecoglou, Pochettino’s time at the club is still remembered for the significant progress and change he brought about. His decision to honor his word and stay at a pivotal moment in his career shows a different side to the high-stakes world of professional football management.