Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed if not winning the Champions League was a criterion, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would have been sacked seven-eight times.
In an interview with AS, Pochettino was asked about his sacking as the PSG manager, 17 months into the job and despite winning the league with the Parisians.
Pochettino hit out at the critics who considered his achievement as ‘underwhelming’, suggesting if that was the case then managers like Guardiola would have met the same fate.
“If [I left] PSG for not winning the Champions League, Guardiola should have already been sacked seven or eight times!” said Pochettino.
“They are different realities. PSG is built to try to win the Champions League. If it is not achieved, the first person responsible is me. That no one hides,” he added.
PSG and Manchester City are yet to lay hands on the UEFA Champions League (UCL) trophy. Both clubs have rich owners who have spent billions on the squad with the sole aim to win the UCL trophy.
Guardiola has been at the helm of affairs at Man City for more than seven seasons now. The Champions League is one of the only trophies that has eluded him during this period.
Despite having a stacked roster of stars over the years, Guardiola and his multibillion-dollar teams have faltered at the knockout stages.
In 2021, Man City managed to reach the final of the showpiece event but had to content with the runners-up medal as Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea won by a solitary goal courtesy of Kai Havertz.
As for Pochettino, the Ligue 1 trophy with PSG was the first major trophy of his managerial career. As Tottenham Hotspur manager, Pochenttino came close to the UCL trophy but was outmuscled by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in Madrid in 2019.
Pochettino is currently without any club but he has shown a willingness to get back in the game. With several national team coaches expected to step down or get fired after the World Cup ends, the former Tottenham boss could become a national team coach.
(With inputs from agencies)
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