Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he was “in shock” after learning the news that long-serving chairman Daniel Levy was leaving the club.
After nearly 25 years serving as the club’s executive chairman, Tottenham announced on Thursday that Levy had stepped down with immediate effect.
Pochettino worked with Levy for five years as the Premier League side’s boss — leading the club to a Champions League final with a talented squad but ultimately falling short of major honours — and said he was surprised by the sudden change.
“I am a little bit in shock because he was my former president,” Pochettino, now head coach of the United States men’s national team, said on Friday. “I don’t know what happened there.
“Of course, I sent a text to him, and I sent a text to different people that were very close to him.
“I wish him the best … my relationship [with him] always was very good, and yes, I was in shock.”
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After joining Tottenham from Southampton in 2014, Pochettino quickly made an impact in north London, finishing in the top-four in four straight seasons. The Argentine also built an impressive squad, featuring Harry Kane and his own signings, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli.
But major trophies alluded Pochettino and Tottenham, with two lost finals during his tenure. Pochettino was sacked by the club in November 2019, five months after a Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.
He has since managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and now the USMNT, while Thomas Frank is Tottenham’s newest boss.
In a statement regarding his exit, Levy said: “I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees. We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level.”
