Mauricio Pochettino has never shied away from speaking his mind, and this week the Argentine coach made clear where his loyalties stand. Asked if he could ever imagine managing Barcelona, Pochettino answered with a blend of honesty and conviction: “With my coaching style, I could coach Barça, yes. But I would never do it. I’m an Espanyol fan.”
For anyone familiar with Pochettino’s story, the remark was no surprise. Before his rise in England, where he guided Tottenham to a Champions League final, Pochettino’s identity was forged in Catalonia with Espanyol. He arrived as a young defender from Argentina, made more than 250 appearances for the club, and later returned as manager. Espanyol is woven into his career as much as his personality, and Barcelona—Espanyol’s great city rival—remains an unthinkable destination.
In Spain, the rivalry between Espanyol and Barcelona is often overshadowed by the country’s more global clashes, such as Real Madrid against Barça. But for those inside the city, loyalties cut deep. For Pochettino, who still speaks of Espanyol with the affection of a lifelong supporter, crossing that divide would feel like a betrayal.
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It is a rare stance in modern football, where pragmatism often outweighs sentiment. Big jobs are taken, rivalries set aside, and allegiances quickly forgotten when opportunity knocks. Yet Pochettino’s words underline something different: a belief that loyalty is not just symbolic, but integral to who he is.
That does not mean his coaching ambitions are small. Pochettino has spoken openly about his desire to manage at the highest level, and his name continues to surface whenever elite jobs become available. But Barcelona, despite the scale of its history and prestige, is not on his horizon.
In the end, his declaration may resonate as much with Espanyol fans as with Barcelona’s. For one half of the city, it is a reminder that their club, often overshadowed, still holds a deep place in the heart of one of its greatest sons.
