A few years ago, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino refused to rule out coaching a Serie A club one day and there are now some storied Italian clubs that would suit the Argentinean tactician.
Pochettino was hired by Chelsea in 2023 signing a two-year contract, with a club option of a further year. The Argentinean tactician should have helped Chelsea climb the Premier League table and let them be contenders at least for a top-four finish.
On the contrary, the Blues sit 10th in the table, 14 points below 4th-placed Aston Villa and the Carabao Cup and FA Cup remain their only realistic chances to lift a trophy this season.
The first opportunity will come on Sunday in an EFL Cup Final against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium. Carabao Cup Final Tickets are still available and while Pochettino is preparing for Chelsea’s most important game of the season, many fans haven’t forgotten about what the Argentinean said a few years ago regarding a possible job in Serie A.
He was still in charge of Tottenham five years ago, when Corriere della Sera asked him if he’d ever come to the Belpaese as a coach. “I have Italian origins and it would be a wonderful experience,” Pochettino replied.
Pochettino’s salary at Stamford Bridge is believed to be in the region of €12m per season, an unaffordable sum for any Serie A club, especially without the Growth Decree. At the same time, however, there are many projects that would suit the 51-year-old in the Peninsula, provided that Chelsea pick a new coach for 2024-25.
Coaching in Serie A would be particularly intriguing for Pochettino who was born in Argentina in 1972 but has Italian roots.
His relatives came from Virle, a small town in the Piedemont Region. In 1867, Matteo Pochettino, his wife Virgilia and their son Michele left northern Italy, heading to Argentina. The family moved to Murphy, a small settlement 250 kilometres west of Buenos Aires.
Pochettino was previously linked with returning to Piedmont, specifically moving to Juventus. First in 2019, when the Bianconeri hired Maurizio Sarri, and then the following year when the Old Lady picked club legend Andrea Pirlo instead.
Many Serie A clubs will be looking for a new coach next season and Pochettino would suit many of them. Roma could replace Daniele De Rossi who has signed a contract until the end of the season. Napoli will also get a new manager hoping to start a new long-term project and even Milan could replace Stefano Pioli if he fails to win the Europa League.
Pochettino’s international experience and tactical knowledge would surely be an added value to any Serie A club, but if he parts company with the Blues in the summer, he’d need to cut his wages to fulfil his desire to coach in the Peninsula.