Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (born 2 March 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Chelsea.

The first football match he watched on television was the 1978 FIFA World Cup which he watched with his father Héctor at the local sports club in Murphy, Centro Recreativo Unión y Cultura.

He started playing as a centre back at an early age for Unión y Cultura, a position he preferred, but he also played as a striker and midfielder.

When he was 13, he trained two days a week with Rosario Central in Rosario, Santa Fe, a 160-mile bus-ride away from Murphy.

He played in Murphy in the first division of the regional Venadense league together with his older brother, Javier.

He studied agriculture in a school 20 miles from home.

When he was 14, Pochettino was scouted by Jorge Griffa, director of football at Newell's Old Boys, and his future manager Marcelo Bielsa, then the reserve team coach at Newell's. Although he was happy at Rosario Central who were interested in signing him, he was persuaded to try out for their rivals Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, Santa Fe.

He was quickly placed in a team attending a tournament in Mar del Plata in January 1987, and helped the team win 3–2 in the final against Club Olimpia of Paraguay, after which he signed for Newell's. He was offered a professional contract at 16, and made his first appearance in the Primera División in the 1988–89 season when he was 17.

Pochettino played as a centre back and began his career in 1989 with Primera División club Newell's Old Boys, winning a league title and finishing as runner-up in the 1992 Copa Libertadores.

At Newell's he played in an intense, fast-paced, high press style of play under Bielsa who was first-team coach from 1990 to 1992.

Bielsa's coaching methods and philosophy would have a significant impact on the young player.

During his five-year stint at the club, Pochettino won the 1990–91 national championship as well as the 1992 Clausura.

The side also reached the final of the Copa Libertadores helped by Pochettino who netted a crucial goal away to Colombian champions América de Cali in the second match leg of their semi-final, but they were beaten 3–2 in the final in a penalty shoot-out by São Paulo after both teams drew 1–1 on aggregate over the course of two legs.

He played with Diego Maradona for a time, sharing a room before games.

In 1994, he transferred to newly promoted La Liga club Espanyol, helping establish their top-flight status and winning the 2000 Copa del Rey, their first trophy in 60 years.

In 1994, Pochettino had the option of joining a number of clubs including Boca Juniors, but chose the Catalan club Espanyol even though it was the least financially attractive offer as he was interested in moving to the city of Barcelona.

Aged 22, Pochettino moved to Espanyol for the 1994–95 season, as part of the new intake of players upon their return to La Liga.

There he soon established himself as an automatic first-team starter, and developed a reputation as a tough, uncompromising centre back.

In February 1997, in the local derby against their rival Barcelona at the soon-to-be-demolished home ground Sarrià Stadium, Pochettino man-marked Ronaldo out the game, and helped the team win 2–0.

It was their first win against Barcelona in ten years.

He stayed six-and-a-half years at the club.

Although he had the opportunity to move a number of occasions, he chose to stay.

In 1998 he stayed so as to reconnect with his former coach Bielsa, and he also rejected an offer from Valencia in the 1999–2000 season out of loyalty to the club.

Pochettino was capped 20 times for the Argentina national team and played at the 1999 Copa América and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In the 1999–2000 season, he signed a pre-agreement to stay at the club for 6 more years contingent on funding.

However, the club could not finance the deal, and informed Pochettino that he should accept an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.

In that season, he helped Espanyol beat Atlético Madrid in the 2000 final of the Copa del Rey, winning their first major trophy in 60 years.

In 2001, he joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and then had a stint with Bordeaux before returning to Espanyol in 2004, winning another Copa del Rey in 2006.

In late January 2001, Pochettino signed for Paris Saint-Germain for an undisclosed fee.

After retiring as a player, Pochettino began his managerial career at Espanyol in 2009.

He left the club in 2012 after poor results and financial disputes.

In 2013, he was appointed at Premier League club Southampton, leading them to an eighth-place finish that season – equalling their highest ever Premier League finish.

He signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 and finished as league runner-up in the 2016–17 season, as well as leading the club to their maiden Champions League final.

He was dismissed in 2019 after a string of poor results, and in 2021, joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France.

He left one year later.

In May 2023, he was appointed head coach of Chelsea.

Pochettino was born in Murphy, Santa Fe to Amalia and Héctor Pochettino, a farm labourer.

His family is of Italian descent from Piedmont.

Between the age of eight and ten, he played both football and volleyball, and also learned judo.

He supported Racing Club de Avellaneda as a child.