Ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed he would consider the Barcelona job despite having made his name at arch-rivals Espanyol.
Pochettino once caused a stir by claiming he would rather quit coaching and go back to working on a farm in Argentina than take charge of the Catalan giants.
He spent the best years of his playing career at Espanyol – whose opposition to the better-known Barcelona side has political as well as sporting significance – making 275 appearances during two stints at the club and twice winning the Copa del Rey.
Espanyol was also where Pochettino broke into management, turning the side from relegation candidates into a comfortable mid-table team, before moving to the Premier League with Southampton and Champions League runners-up Spurs.
But now Pochettino has performed a U-turn on his controversial farm comment, insisting he was merely trying to deny he had a special interest in Barca.
Pochettino told Spanish newspaper El Pais : “Let me be clear about this. I had just visited Barcelona and I bumped into (Barcelona FC president Josep Maria) Bartomeu at a bar.
“We said hello because our children were at the same school and we chatted for about five minutes.
“This generated a rumour which raised alarm bells because there were other teams that wanted me, and when I was asked about it, I wanted to be categorical.
Pochettino continued: “I did not want to disrespect Barcelona. I could have said things differently. Espanyol has made my career. But I’m not arrogant and didn’t want to say something like that.
“Maybe now I would not have said it because you never know what will happen in life.”
Current Barcelona boss Quique Setien is under pressure after his side squandered the league to Real Madrid amid a disappointing domestic campaign.
Meanwhile, Pochettino is still out of a job after his sacking by Spurs, six months after he led them to the first Champions League final in their history.
