Mauricio Pochettino is expected to feature in Tuesday night’s Champions League first leg match between Atletico Madrid and Tottenham, according to The Athletic.
The former Spurs manager and current head coach of the United States men’s national team will be Atlético’s official guest at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Pochettino’s visit is primarily a reconnaissance mission, although his presence will no doubt prompt speculation.
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He is reportedly “monitoring” USMNT midfielder Jonny Cardoso, who joined Atletico Madrid from Real Betis in July 2025 and has recently established himself as a key figure in manager Diego Simeone’s midfield.
This will be Pochettino’s first time watching his former club from the stands since his departure in 2019.
Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a return to Tottenham
Pochettino’s return to action against Tottenham comes at a time of great turmoil for the north London club.
Spurs currently sit 16th in the Premier League and face a real threat of relegation.
Despite announcing his commitment to the USMNT ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino remains a figure of keen interest for the Tottenham hierarchy.
According to reports, he is one of the frontrunners for the permanent position this summer, regardless of which division the club is in.
The ‘world-class’ Argentine is focused on the World Cup for now, but Pochettino remains open to making his dream return as permanent manager this summer.
Tottenham were at their strongest under Pochettino.
The sight of Pochettino in the stands was a stark reminder of how far Tottenham had fallen.
From 2014 to 2019, Pochettino oversaw the most successful period in the club’s modern history, turning the club into regular Champions League participants and title contenders.
Under his guidance, Spurs reached the 2019 Champions League final, coincidentally held at Atlético’s stadium, and achieved their highest ever finish in the Premier League, second place, in 2017.
| category | statistics |
| number of matches played | 293 |
| won | 160 |
| drawn | 60 |
| lost | 73 |
| Winning rate | 54.3% |
| Points per game (PPG) | 1.84 |
Mauricio Pochettino’s performance as Tottenham manager (via Transfermarkt)
Since his sacking seven years ago, the club has gone through several managers without ever regaining the same identity or stability.
With the end of the season on the horizon and the Reds set to face Atletico tonight, many fans regard the Pochettino era as a standard the club has not achieved since.
