Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy admits sacking Mauricio Pochettino was the hardest decision he has ever had to make in his career but has left open the possibility of the Argentine returning to the club in the future.
Pochettino transformed Spurs from Europa League hopefuls into Champions League finalists during his five-and-a-half-year stint in north London as he oversaw the most exciting Tottenham side of the modern era.
Under his stewardship, Spurs broke their Arsenal hoodoo and finished ahead of the Gunners in the league in each of the last three seasons - including a runners up spot in 2016/17.
And the pinnacle of Pochettino’s time in Tottenham, which saw the club move into their state-of-the-art new stadium, was last season’s Champions League final which saw the Lilywhites fall just one hurdle short of being crowned champions of Europe.
But after a difficult start to the season which left Tottenham 14th in the table, Levy pulled the trigger and replaced Pochettino with former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
When asked if the move was the hardest decision he has ever had to make, Levy did not hesitate in telling the Evening Standard : “Yes, because you have to understand; I had built up a personal relationship with Mauricio over five-and-a-half years.
“It is not something I ever wanted. Personally, it was incredibly difficult, I told him that and he understood. He’s been in football, he understands.
“It’s not personal and I’m sure he’ll come back stronger and get an opportunity to manage another great club.”
But Levy refused to be drawn into specifics of the sacking, adding: “I’m not going to sit here and analyse the past. It’s not productive. Mauricio did a fantastic job, we are very grateful. I wish him all the best for the future. I’m still in contact with him.
“My relationship is very good with him. It just got to the point where it felt we needed a divorce.
“But it is hard managing a club. The pressure these managers are under is immense. There aren’t many managers that manage a club for five years. [The longevity of Sir] Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is very, very, very unusual.
“When they first started, the League wasn’t where it is today. It is so competitive and intense. I think it is very unlikely you are going to see a repeat of that. The Ferguson and Wenger eras are in the past.
Rather interestingly, Levy admitted that the unpredictable nature of the sport means this might not be the end for Tottenham Hotspur and Mauricio Pochettino.
When asked if the Argentine could return to Spurs in the future, he simply said: “Why not? I don’t close the door on anything.”
