Coach Pochettino vows never to lead Barca

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino sees the possibility of managing Barca as an act of betrayal towards his former club Espanyol.

"I'm an Espanyol fan, so I don't think there's much to say. It's like one day, when I was fired by Tottenham, I would never coach Arsenal," Pochettino answered the question about the possibility of leading Barca in an interview on March 30.

Pochettino will not return to Barca as rumored. Photo: Reuters

As a player, Pochettino spent eight years at Barca's crosstown rivals Espanyol. The Argentine tactician also won the Copa del Rey twice with Espanyol in 2000 and 2006.

Rumors about Pochettino's potential arrival at Barca began to heat up last Tuesday, when the coach met with Barca president Josep Bartomeu.

"That meeting was a coincidence when we went to the same bar in Barcelona. I knew Bartomeu before he became Barca President. When we met, there were a lot of people around us. We just greeted each other and talked for about five minutes," Pochettino explained.

Pochettino is currently one of the most highly rated managers in the Premier League. The 45-year-old had success with Southampton, before taking Tottenham to the top of the league in the past two seasons.

Meanwhile, Barca are looking for a new coach to replace Luis Enrique. Wanting to take some time off, Enrique has decided not to renew his contract with the team.

According to VNE