Southampton's
Argentinian manager Mauricio Pochettino arrives for the English Premier
League football match between Aston Villa and Southampton at Villa Park
in Birmingham on April 19, 2014 (AFP Photo/Paul Ellis)
London (AFP) - Tottenham appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager on a five-year contract on Tuesday.
Pochettino was
tipped to take charge at White Hart Lane following the recent sacking
of Tim Sherwood and the Premier League club confirmed they have
persuaded the former Argentina defender, who had earned widespread
praise during his time as Southampton boss, to quit his post at St
Mary's and move to north London.
"The
club is delighted to announce the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as
our new head coach on a five-year contract," a statement on Tottenham's
website announced.
Pochettino, who will work under Spurs director
of football Franco Baldini, admitted he was delighted to be given the
opportunity to manage a club of Tottenham's stature.
The
42-year-old pledged to stay faithful to the club's philosophy of
attacking play, while also fulfilling their desire to play in the
Champions League on a regular basis.
"This
is a club with tremendous history and prestige and I am honoured to
have been given this opportunity to be its Head Coach," he said.
"There is an abundance of top-class talent at the club and I am looking forward to starting work with the squad.
"Tottenham
Hotspur has a huge following across the world and I have great
admiration for the passion the fans show for this team.
"We are determined to give the supporters the kind of attacking football and success that we are all looking to achieve."
Spurs
chairman Daniel Levy made his approach to Pochettino after finally
ruling out an offer for Carlo Ancelotti, who had been on his wanted list
before the Italian's Champions League triumph with Real Madrid made him an impossible target.
Ajax
manager Frank de Boer had also reportedly been in contention for the
job, but Pochettino's impressive rise to prominence in just 18 months in
charge convinced Levy he was the right man to lead Tottenham's
challenge to qualify for Europe's elite club competition and possibly
the Premier League title.
Having arrived at Southampton in January 2013 as a relative unknown, former Espanyol boss Pochettino's possession-based, attacking game and focus on home-grown talent has impressed, as have his on-field results.
Saints
managed their best-ever Premier League finish of eighth last season,
while young talents like Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez, Sam
Gallagher and Calum Chambers all thrived under the Argentine's
leadership.
Comments
Post a Comment