As the UEFA Champions League final draws closer, Mauricio Pochettino’s moment of revelation could be fast approaching as he prepares to lay his hands on his first trophy as manager.
Throughout his decade-long career, he has failed to win a single trophy, perhaps perplexingly.
The Argentine started his career at Espanyol just three years after he retired as player at the same club.
He took over a team in crisis in the 2008/09 season and guided them to safety after they were staring at relegation. Pochettino also masterminded a derby victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Espanyol’s first in La Liga in 27 years.
Ultimately, he parted ways with Espanyol in the 2012 season after a poor start to the season which pushed them to the last position after 13 games. He failed to win a single trophy in Spain but one can hardly blame him, given Barcelona were sweeping up titles in not just Spain but all over Europe at that time.
The Argentine then shifted base to Southampton halfway through the 2013/14 season. In his first full season at the club, he led the team to a top eight finish, their best since the 2002/03 season. Yet again, there was a lack of trophies, but he was receiving the plaudits for his good work as Southampton came to be known as ‘giant killers’ under his reign.
In 2014, he took over at Tottenham and oversaw a successful season as Spurs finished in the top five. He steered them to the finals of the League Cup in the same season, only to concede the title to Chelsea in the final. Until last month, this was the objectively Pochettino’s best accomplishment as a manager. But the way he helped Spurs metamorph into a true Premier League big gun spoke volumes of his quality as a manager.
Now the 47-year-old has a chance to pick up his first silverware as Spurs square off against Liverpool in the finals of the Champions League.
A trophy has been long due. The fact that his first ever trophy as a manager could be the highly coveted Champions League should make up for the delay if it happens.
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