Little-Known Conversation Pochettino Had With Ex-Kenya Football Team Coach

Former Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) and Tottenham Hotspur boss, Mauricio Pochettino, is on the verge of succeeding Graham Potter at Chelsea Football Club, marking his return to the English Premier League after a four-year absence.

Reports emerged on Saturday, May 13 that the 51-year-old Argentine agreed on a deal with the West London club following extensive talks. 

Chelsea have been looking for a new manager since firing Graham Potter on Sunday, April 2. Pochettino will be the third permanent manager to work under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake capital ownership since they bought the club in 2022 and will take over from caretaker manager Frank Lampard at the end of this season.

Pochettino's trusted backroom staff of Jesus Perez, Toni Jimenez, Miguel D'Agostino and son Sebastiano Pochettino are all set to join him at Stamford Bridge. 

Former PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino. /TWITTER

According to the UK publication The Telegraph, Pochettino will return to England and commit his future to an initial three-year deal - two less than Potter who was sacked after a dismal season which has the club currently sitting in 11th place in the Premier League.

Pochettino's Relationship With Victor Wanyama

Kenyans might be familiar with Pochettino for how he managed former Harambee Stars captain, Victor Wanyama, during the five years that he was in charge of Spurs from May 2014, even though he failed to win a trophy at the north London club.

Former Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi had paid a visit to Wanyama at Spurs in London in 2017 during a trip with the SportPesa All Stars team which was to face the Hull Ciy junior team in a historic friendly match played on February 27 of that year at KCOM Stadium.

Okumbi visited Wanyama together with his all-stars team in order for the team to get a word of encouragement from the midfielder.

According to UK publication Football.London which made reference to Kenya's Football Kenya Federation (FKF) website, Okumbi opened up on a conversation he had with Pochettino at the time after Wanyama withdrew from his country's squad, having made his first start of the season in the Premier League defeat to Chelsea after recovering enough from a knee injury picked up in a friendly against PSG during Spurs' pre-season tour of the USA.

"Wanyama was injured during pre-season and we watched him struggle against Newcastle United and Chelsea. I talked to him and we agreed that he be left out of the team so that he can work on his fitness.

"I also talked to the Spurs manager and he stated that Wanyama was struggling in terms of fitness. The coach suggested that we give him more time to work on his fitness because he's a little behind schedule following the injury he picked during pre-season," Okumbi stated.

Notably, Pochettino's son, Maurizio Pochettino, had featured alongside Kenyan midfielder Henry Ochieng started for Watford’s Under 23 side in the 0-1 win over Wigan in the English Professional Development League on March 22, 2021.

Squad Changes At Chelsea

The former Spurs boss will now be expected to spend most of the summer making crucial decisions on the playing squad, with reducing the size of the Chelsea squad the priority. Despite spending £600m (Ksh102.8 billion) in the last two transfer windows, Chelsea are in the bottom half of the Premier League and will end the season without a trophy, while they will also not play in European competition next season.

The Telegraph also reported that Chelsea will try to make two or three key signings, including a new goalkeeper. With the current season still ongoing, Pochettino will get over two months of preparation time.

The Premier League 2023/24 season starts on Saturday, August 12, with the Blues' first pre-season friendly taking place on July 19, meaning there will be enough time for the Argentine to get his feet under the table.

Pochettino has been out of work since being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain last summer after 18 months in charge of the French side, having guided them to the Ligue 1 title in 2022 and the French Cup the year before.

Mauricio Pochettino with Victor Wanyama during a past Premier League game. /GOAL.COM

In the Premier League, he led Spurs to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, which they lost to Liverpool, and also guided them to the 2015 League Cup final as well as a second-place finish in the 2016/17 Premier League season, with Chelsea winning both competitions.

Training Techniques: Running A Lot, Hot Coal

In terms of his training techniques, Chelsea players were told they will be lucky to work with Pochettino – but have been warned his training sessions are intense.

Pochettino wants his players to work hard, work to their limits, and give absolutely all they have in training, in the gym, and most importantly on the pitch, and his training methods sound gruelling and intense, although they work.

He also likes to keep a tray of lemons in his office, after an Argentine friend told him they absorb negative energy, and he believes he has the ability to see an aura around people.

Writing in his book, Brave New World, Pochettino said: "I need data and tests, but what most influences my decisions is my ability to see if the right energy is flowing. I can foresee things that are going to happen and the associated consequences, or which path each player is going to take. I can see it in their auras."

Additionally, preparations for Tottenham Hotspur's 2019 Champions League final involved players following Pochettino over hot coals and snapping arrows against their throats.

"When you see the arrow, you think 'it's impossible, how am I going to break the arrow against my throat?'" Pochettino said ahead of the final. "You say: 'No, come on, I am going to kill myself.' You put it with the sharp tip against your throat but then, bang, you come forward and break the arrow. The most important thing is to learn how you can prepare your mind. To be focused. To be proactive. This is the key in football.

"If you are going to run, of course, you need big legs, muscle and everything, but if your mind says 'No, I cannot run, you're going to be tired,' then you cannot move. That is why, before everything, is your mind; your emotions need to be in a good place. Your mind is powerful and only you settle your limits."

Furthermore, running is something Chelsea players who want to succeed under Pochettino will have to do a lot of and they may soon become familiar with the notorious Gacon test, a gruelling intermittent shuttle run favoured by the coach and his staff.

"To start with, the players have 45 seconds to cover 150 metres, with 15 seconds to rest," explained Pochettino in his book. "In each subsequent 45-second rep, they have to run 6.25 metres further, with the intensity steadily increasing."

Southampton players hated the Gacon test and, upset with the amount of running Pochettino was demanding on Mondays after games, Rickie Lambert went to see his new coach to request relaxation. He was listened to politely and the pair shook hands.

Mauricio Pochettino during a past training session at PSG. /EUROSPORT