I pulled the chairman out of the rapids... should I have demanded a new deal first?

In November 2016, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy invited Pochettino and his coaching staff, including assistant managerJesus Perez, goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez and first-team coach Miki D’Agostino, to the estate of Joe Lewis, Tottenham’s major shareholder, at Lago Escondido in rural Argentina for a week of hiking, adventure sports and meetings WE went rafting around the lower River Manso, eight of us plus the guide. ‘You’ll fall off at some point,’ they warned us, ‘but don’t worry, we won’t leave you behind.’ The first to take a tumble was Jesus, at the very first rapid, and the guide grabbed his leg and pulled him back in.

No sooner was the next rapid upon us than Jesus once more plunged in head first. We were all laughing, but then it started getting rougher. Still, everything was going

more or less fine until the last rapid. Suddenly, the boat flipped and several members of the group were flung out. Jesus went flying, joined by Daniel [Levy], Nicolas [the caretaker of the estate], Toni and Miki, scattered in different directions. I’d promised the chairman that I’d fish him out if he fell in. I saw Daniel in the water, looking at me, a picture of seriousness.

I grabbed his hands and heaved him in. Then we joked about how I should’ve demanded a new contract, “double our salary or you’re not getting into the boat”.