Mauricio Pochettino is firmly in the spotlight again, having left his role at Chelsea.
Following a period of considerable momentum under the former PSG boss, Blues owner Todd Boehly chose to part ways with the Argentine after just a single season at the helm. Despite his UK tenure being brief and filled with moments of triumph and turmoil, few instances match the drama of Pochettino alleging that a competitor ‘loathed’ him during a transfer furore that came close to spiralling out of control.
Rewind to 2019 and the Argentine, then steering the ship for Tottenham Hotspur, launched an incredible tirade against current Barcelona gaffer, Xavi. Xavi waded into talk that Spurs player Dele Alli may have been better suited at one of Tottenham’s Premier League rivals, as reported at the time by the Metro.
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“At the moment the best English player there is and also one of the best in Europe is Dele Alli. We are looking at a very special player,” asserted Xavi. “Technically he is the sort of player that Pep likes, the sort of player that suits the style of game that Pep likes his teams to play.”
Pochettino didn’t take kindly to Xavi’s words, interpreting them as tainted by enmity. It appeared to spark revelations of long-standing tension between the two, dating back to their on-pitch clashes in Spain’s top league.
Pochettino fired back: “He hates me because he is a Barcelona player and a fan. I know him very well, I played against him a lot and when I was a manager.”
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(Image: Getty Images)
Pochettino was clearly perturbed by Xavi’s public comments, particularly given the reference to a player move that wasn’t on the horizon at that time. The former Barca midfield star added fuel to the fire by remarking: “I am sure it is not going to be a player that Tottenham will want to let go, but we know Manchester City have big resources.”
The former Espanyol player believes Xavi’s remarks could be driven by their personal rivalry from their days in Barcelona. The then-Southampton manager retorted strongly, claiming that Xavi has animosity towards him and seeks to thwart Tottenhams ambitions.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Xavi is my enemy and tried to destroy our focus to win,” Pochettino declared. “Maybe he is working for Manchester City, he wants to help Guardiola.”
Alli, who bagged the PFA Young Player of the Year trophy during that season, never hit those highs again to be linked with City and he moved to Everton in 2021. Spurs later sacked Pochettino who then had one season in charge of PSG before finally making his way back to the UK for his ill-fated spell at Chelsea.
Upon retiring from professional football, Xavi went on to lead Al Sadd in Qatar before landing his current role at Barcelona, where he steered the club to victory in the 2022/23 La Liga season. He is now expected to leave the Nou Camp this summer following multiple U-turns over his future.