BEST OF ENEMIES

Pals Poch and Emery ignore fans’ feuding

The first north London derby since Arsene Wenger’s exit delivers a hint of bromance across the football divide that brings to mind the story of the Montagues and the Capulets.

Forget Arsenal’s Wenger and Tottenham’s Martin Jol in torrid touchline dispute. Or Clive Allen’s furious quest for a handshake from the Arsenal boss. These days the managers write each other’s job references. Their modern rivalry is more Romeo and

Juliet than feuding and it all started when Arsenal’s Unai emery recommended Spurs’ Mauricio Pochettino for his job at Valencia.

‘The chairman of Valencia called me,’ said Pochettino, ‘and he said, “I want you”. he said, “Unai emery advised me, and he told me to pick you because you are the best manager”.

‘I said no, to stay with espanyol, and then I called Unai at Spartak Moscow and said, “Thank you very much for recommending me”. It is not usual. You need to be grateful when a colleague does that.’

It was the start of a beautiful friendship and it is no coincidence that Tottenham signed Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain when emery was at the helm.

‘Always about football,’ said Pochettino. ‘Ninety-nine per cent of our life is football — whether it is in Paris or he was in different clubs. Sometimes he asks me about some players, some teams — there is contact between the coaching staff, too.’

Once, when the friends met at a conference in Bilbao, emery showed an interest in a move to the Premier League. ‘he asked me,’ said Pochettino, ‘and, of course, I advised him, “Yes, if you have the possibility to come, you are going to be right”.’

Before too long, emery was the manager of fierce rivals Arsenal and searching for a home in the same part of hertfordshire. Wherefore art thou, Mauricio?

‘I knew he was getting the job but not through him,’ said Pochettino. ‘he is clever not to tell me until he signs. he knows very well football.’ The two are neighbours, though they have not had time to meet since emery arrived at Arsenal, but Pochettino does not expect the traditional rivalry between the clubs to spoil their friendship.

‘No, no, the opposite I think,’ said Pochettino. ‘It is a derby but it is one thing to compete and find the way to beat each other but before and after the game, always very good friends.’

With Wenger, the relationship went no deeper than the cursory touchline handshake. ‘With a lot of managers we have drinks in the manager’s room, after or before the game. But not with Arsene.’

It was never Wenger’s style. he was among the first to shun the traditional post-match drink, earning a reputation for aloofness. ‘Wenger was an amazing manager — one of the greatest,’ said Pochettino. ‘But this is a new era and always with a new manager comes a new way to do things. It’s a different culture with a Spanish manager — different ideas, a different approach.’

Tottenham go to the emirates in third place, confident after six wins in a row. ‘We have improved a lot,’ said Pochettino. ‘At the same stage last season we had six points fewer. I can’t say we’re a contender for the title. Man City in a different level — Liverpool and Chelsea the same. Man United and Arsenal made more investment and need to be the contenders, but we are there.’

Arsenal, only three points behind Spurs, are unbeaten in 18 games.

‘It’s a challenge, a very big match,’ said emery. ‘It’s an opportunity to show how we can play with a big performance to win against them.’

Now when they meet, maybe Pochettino can convince his old friend and new neighbour to open up a little more.