[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Jong-guk] Mauricio Pochettino is being discussed as a candidate to become Real Madrid’s next manager.
Football España and other outlets reported on March 10 that Pochettino has been added to Real Madrid’s managerial shortlist as a potential successor to interim coach Álvaro Arbeloa. The club never disclosed the length of Arbeloa’s January contract, and internally he was never seen as a long-term solution. Results haven’t improved since Arbeloa took over, and the report says he would likely need a miracle—or a Champions League title—to keep the job for next season.
Real Madrid is said to be evaluating several candidates to lead a new project, and Pochettino is among the managers president Florentino Pérez reportedly holds in high regard. Links to a Spurs return have surfaced, but Tottenham are embroiled in a relegation battle in the Premier League. Pochettino’s résumé includes spells at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and Madrid value his experience coaching Kylian Mbappé. Other names mentioned recently include Jürgen Klopp, Unai Emery and Massimiliano Allegri, though Pérez’s ideal choice is reportedly Zinedine Zidane—despite rumors Zidane has already agreed to take over the France national team after the World Cup in North America.
Speculation about Pochettino returning to Tottenham flared again last month after the club sacked manager Frank. Pochettino managed Spurs from May 2014 to November 2019 and famously guided them—with Son Heung-min—to the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League final. This season Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League with a record of 7 wins, 8 draws and 14 losses (29 points), just one point above the relegation zone and ahead of 18th-place West Ham United (28 points). After dismissing Frank, Tottenham appointed Tudor, but the club remains stuck in a five-match losing streak in league play.
