REAL TALK ... I LISTEN
Poch admits he would ‘let football take me wherever’ as Real make him No.1 target
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino admits he would “have to listen” if contacted by Real Madrid.
The Spurs manager insisted he was happy in north London but added he would “let football take me wherever” and that “what has to be, will be”. He is Real’s No.1 choice to replace Zinedine Zidane, who looks set to take charge of France after the World Cup.
Pochettino, who was in Barcelona to launch a Spanish version of his book Brave New World,
said: “When Real Madrid call you, you have to listen to them.
“I live in the present, there’s nothing more important than that. I enjoy what’s happening and what has to be, will be.”
Referring to the head of the academy at Newell’s Old Boys, his first club as a player in his native Argentina, he added: “Jorge Griffa told me once that I have to let football take me wherever, to not get bogged down in trying to change my own destiny.”
Pochettino signed a new five-year contract at Tottenham last week and the club say there is no get-out clause.
That would leave Real with a £42million bill if they were able to buy him out of his current agreement.
Pochettino has never hidden his desire to one day take the reins at the Bernabeu and the Spanish club gave him the red-carpet treatment before playing Spurs in the Champions League last season.
Club president Florentino Perez (above) went out of his way to lay on the charm in the Bernabeu in what was clearly putting down the foundations for a future move.
However, Pochettino stressed he is only focused on Tottenham and was staying put.
He said: “I signed a new contract 10 days ago. What is going to happen tomorrow, I don’t know, but I will always tell you football is football, football will put you in your place always.
“The most important thing is to explain day by day that life is very short and we need to spend the day thinking and enjoying life.
“We can’t be thinking too much and worrying about what’s happening tomorrow.
“I am so happy in Tottenham and I am so happy that Tottenham showed the commitment and trust in the way that Daniel showed me 10 days go and of course we have a lot of dreams, we have a lot of objectives.
“Although in this case it doesn’t depend on me. Right now I am ready to go to lunch. I’m looking forward to going back to London.”