Mauricio Pochettino ran into a former Spurs man this week who he famously snubbed in a huge game, but the pair were all smiles.
Mauricio Pochettino’s most controversial decision at Spurs
Pochettino made several excellent decisions and a few questionable ones during his five-and-a-half-year tenure at Tottenham, but there was arguably none more controversial than the selection call he made for the 2019 Champions League.
The Argentine decided to leave Lucas Moura out of the team even though the Brazilian had been in excellent form towards the end of that season and had single-handedly helped the Lilywhites overcome Ajax in the semifinal with his infamous hat trick.
Pochettino made the decision to play Harry Kane, who was coming straight off an extended injury lay-off, and the England captain looked nowhere near full fitness during the game as Tottenham stumbled to a 2-0 loss.
Lucas Moura seemingly on good terms with Pochettino
Pochettino’s decision to snub Moura in the final is something the former Spurs winger has talked about in the past, admitting that it was not easy for him to take (Football London).
However, that incident does not appear to have had any impact on the pair’s relationship if the former Spurs manager’s latest social media post is to go by.
The Argentine is now the head coach of the United States National side while Moura is getting ready for the start of the new Brasileiro Serie A season with Sao Paulo.
It turns out that the 32-year-old caught up with not just Pochettino, but also with the other members of his coaching staff, including Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jimenez, with the former Spurs boss posting the following on Instagram stories:
This is proof of Pochettino’s man management credentials
While Pochettino gets credit for his tactical acumen and the focus he puts on fitness, one underrated aspect of his coaching is undoubtedly his man-management.
Not a single player he has managed seems to have a bad word to utter about the 52-year-old, not even Moura, who has reason to feel aggrieved.
While it was a surprise to see Pochettino leave club football behind and go the national team route, we will likely see him back in the Premier League at some time in the future.
Perhaps we might even see a fairytale return to Tottenham, with the Argentine making no secret of the fact that he has unfinished business at N17.