Heroes & Humans of Football
Mauricio Pochettino: A new face for US soccer
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Episode notes
Argentine football manager Pochettino has always been the type to fly under the radar – both as a player and a coach. Is it his time for the spotlight by bringing the US men’s team to glory?
In this episode, Simon and Mehreen cover nice guy Pochettino’s life, from growing up on a farm in Argentina to a football career in France—where he’s more motivated by the food and wine of Bordeaux than the club itself.
They cover his managerial career, and the story of a Spanish speaker who managed teams in England and France, yet could never communicate to his players except through translators. How, despite this, did he become arguably one of Tottenham Hotspurs most successful managers?
This episode covers a deeply spiritual man and ‘aura reader’ who rises to the heights of football (but never the pinnacle) by being a family-orientated nice guy—in stark contrast to other authoritarian, manipulative football managers.
Timestamps:
00:36: Introduction
3:07: First thoughts and career statistics
5:45: Growing up in rural Argentina
10:51: Scouting by Bielsa and a weird knock on the door at 2am…
17:31: A good-but-forgettable footballing career—the ultimate footballer NPC
27:53: Football’s good, but Pochettino’s about the food and wine (playing in Paris and Bordeaux)
34:33: Pochettino’s spiritualism. Simon’s not a fan.
43:09: Move to Southampton, with no knowledge of English
50:35: Non-verbal communication and call to Spurs
58:36: Rise and fall at Tottenham Hotspur
1:04:31: Move to Paris Saint Germain and a hollow victory
1:08:30: Chelsea comes calling
1:10:57: Move to the US men’s team – what will happen?
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