Contrasting coaches set to converge at Wembley
Journeys of Pochettino, Zidane make for intriguing CL subplot
LONDON — When Tottenham Hotspur hosts Real Madrid in the Champions League at Wembley on Wednesday, a compelling touchline duel will form its backdrop.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and Madrid counterpart Zinedine Zidane are two of the most highly regarded managers in Europe, both hoping to get their hands on the continent’s elite club prize this season — Pochettino for the first time and Zidane for a third time as a coach.
But the pair could not have taken more contrasting journeys to the top of their profession.
Argentine Pochettino, 45, has enjoyed a remarkable transformation from journeyman defender to coveted coach, while Zidane, who is the same age, is the French World Cup winner whose brilliance in his glittering playing career has been followed by more success in the dugout.
With Spurs and Real level on points at the top of Group H, AFP examines each man’s formative experiences in the game:
Playing days • Pochettino
The son of a farm worker, he was brought up with a tenacious work ethic that fueled his rise from those humble roots.
“As a boy, all I thought about was football, football, football. It was everything,” Pochettino said.
Fighting to claw out a career as an uncompromising defender was no hardship for Pochettino, who made his professional debut with Newell’s Old Boys in 1988 and won the Argentine Primera Division in 1991.
He earned him a move to Espanyol in 1994 but he toiled in relative anonymity in Spain, winning only the Copa del Rey in 2000.
Zidane enjoyed some of his finest moments on the international stage but Pochettino won only 20 caps and his most memorable contribution was to concede the penalty that led to England’s 1-0 win over Argentina at the 2002 World Cup and ultimately his country’s groupstage elimination.
• Zidane
While Pochettino had a rural childhood, Zidane was raised on the mean streets of Marseille’s La Castellane district, where he forged his potent combination of balletic grace on the ball with a street fighter’s toughness.
After starting his career at Cannes and Bordeaux, the midfield maestro, nicknamed ‘Zizou,’ blossomed into a superstar while working under Marcello Lippi at Juventus.
“Lippi was like a light switch for me. Before that football was about enjoying myself,” recalled Zidane. “After I arrived in Turin, the desire to win things took over and never left me.”
While Pochettino’s trophy cabinet gathered dust, Zidane hoovered up two Serie A titles with Juve before helping Real’s “galacticos” win La Liga and the Champions League.
The latter silverware was secured thanks to Zidane’s sublime strike in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen, while his majestic displays led France to glory at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.
Management • Pochettino
Hugely influenced by Marcelo Bielsa, his coach at Newell’s Old Boys, Pochettino applied those lessons to seize his chance when Espanyol came calling in 2009.
After saving the Catalan club from relegation, Pochettino kept it afloat for another two years with little investment in the squad.
Hired by Southampton in 2013, Pochettino won over a skeptical Saints squad despite intense training sessions which led midfielder Jack Cork to say you need “two hearts” to play for him.
After taking Saints to an eighth-place finish in his second season, Pochettino was hired by Spurs in 2014, leading them to third and second place in the past two years.
Obsessive about every detail, Pochettino even picks the detergent to wash the team’s outfits, while he bombards players with motivational texts day and night.
“To me, if a player doesn’t work hard for the team, he won’t play. Nothing happens by chance,” he said.
• Zidane
Pochettino remains without a trophy in his managerial career, while Zidane was parachuted into an apparent ideal scenario for success when he was appointed Real boss in January 2016.
Zidane’s only prior experience had been as assistant to former Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, before a brief spell as the club’s reserve coach.
Zidane has had the Midas touch since, leading Real to seven trophies, including Champions League crowns in 2016 and 2017.
Just days after winning coach of the year at FIFA’s awards gala, Zidane is faced with a searching test of his coaching credentials.
Beaten by minnow Girona on Sunday, Real is eight points behind La Liga leader Barcelona, forcing Zidane to admit he still has much to learn.
“I don’t think I’m the best in the world. I’m lucky to be at the best club in the world with the best players,” he said.