Mauricio Pochettino: Coaching Barcelona would be impossible

By Mark Walker

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is plotting Barcelona’s downfall safe in the knowledge he will never manage the Spanish giants, he has told Spanish daily Marca.

Pochettino believes his past precludes him from ever taking charge at the Camp Nou, given he has been both a player and manager at cross-town rivals Espanyol, but he is thrilled at the prospect of tackling Barca in tomorrow’s Champions League tussle at Wembley.

“[Facing Barca] motivates me, being an Espanyol fan and living for so many years in Barcelona,” Tottenham’s Argentinian coach told the paper.

It is more than understood [that I will never take over] ... My path and that of Barcelona are different, opposite directions. Coaching there would be impossible.

Tottenham lost their Group B opener against Inter Milan and need to get back on track against a Barcelona side stinging from going three La Liga matches without a win.

“Winning a game is always nice and when you win against Barcelona, even more so, because that would mean something important for us,” Pochettino said.

For me, (Lionel) Messi is still the number one (player in the world) and will be until he retires.

Barca travel to London today with former Barcelona and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker warning that Messi could light up Wembley.

In the interview with the Spurs website, Lineker emphasised that Spurs will have a difficult task ahead in the game “stopping the best player in the world”.

He said: “He is the best player to ever put on a pair of boots. It’s as if he sees the game from afar. He never rises to provocation, and he is a great example to both the world of football and to every young person who plays the sport.”