New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Tottenham Hotspur, stating that taking over from Ange Postecoglou is “not realistic” at this time.

Postecoglou was sacked as Hotspur head coach on Friday, despite guiding Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years by winning the Europa League.

Pochettino, who spent five years in charge of Tottenham before leaving in November 2019, has been rumoured as a potential successor.

However, the Argentine – appointed as US head coach in October 2024 – has expressed contentment with his current role.

“Today it’s not realistic. Look where I am. Look where we (his backroom staff) are. The answer is so clear. I think, since I left in 2019, my name has always been on the list (of rumours),” said Pochettino.

“I’ve seen the rumours, we are 100 coaches on the list. Don’t be worried about that. If something happens (in the future), you for sure will see, but I am so happy in this moment and we cannot talk about this type of thing,” he added.

He made the comments following the US national team’s 2-1 loss to Turkey in Connecticut. The defeat marked the team’s third in a row, bringing Pochettino’s record to five wins and four losses in his first nine matches.

During his previous spell at Spurs, Pochettino led the team to the Champions League final in 2019 and secured a second-place finish in the Premier League in 2017.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to take over at Tottenham, with Fulham’s Marco Silva also attracting interest.

The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico.

–IANS

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