Mauricio Pochettino, who has reportedly agreed terms with Chelsea, is a coach with roots in a small town in northern Italy, a tie that continues to this day.
The Pochettino were originally from the town of Virle, population around 1200, in the province in Turin. In 1867, Matteo Pochettino, his wife Virgilia and son Michele left northern Italy, heading to Argentina. The family moved to Murphy, a small settlement 250 kilometres west of Buenos Aires.
105 years later, Mauricio Pochettino was born. His family never forgot their Italian ties, maintaining many aspects of the culture in their home, and his grandfather was a passionate Juventus fan.
French outlet RMC Sport explored Pochettino’s Italian origins, visiting the town of Virle. They spoke with mayor Mattia Robasto, who explained the historic ties to the town.
“Mauricio Pochettino has been an honorary fellow citizen of Virle since 2018, we did some research and discovered that his great-great-grandfather was a Virle compatriot, so he too has Virle origins.
“The film crew came to investigate this aspect, but not only: the documentary also wants to discuss the phenomenon of the great emigrations to South America in the late 19th and early 20th century.”
RMC Sport also saw the birth certificate of Pochettino’s great-great-grandfather, his honorary citizenship and they visited a farm owned by the Pochettino brothers.
Mayor Robasto explained: “The surname is the same as the coach’s, they are not relatives, except distantly, but the troupe was also able to observe and tell about the agricultural reality and the fabric that characterises our village.”
Pochettino will take over as Chelsea coach in the summer, hoping to turn around the club’s fortunes after their disastrous 2022-23 season.