English Premier League (EPL) Tottenham captain Son Heung-min is reunited with his gift. Mauricio Pochettino, who guided Tottenham to their glory days in the late 2010s, now visits Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his ‘nemesis’. It will be four years since Son and Pochettino were reunited on the EPL stage. Pochettino also revealed his special feelings for Spurs ahead of the game.레모나토토 도메인
Tottenham and Chelsea will face off in the 11th round of the 2023-24 EPL at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Sunday morning (Aug. 7). With Spurs unbeaten in the league (8 wins, 2 draws), it will be interesting to see if they can keep the momentum going in the ‘London Derby’.
But there’s more. Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino will be visiting Tottenham. Pochettino has been in charge of Tottenham for six years, having first taken charge in the 2014-15 season. He”s also the man who brought Son Heung-min to the club. Pochettino mentioned Son in his press conference ahead of the Tottenham game and jokingly talked about how to stop him. On May 5, Pochettino said, “I’m not going to play as a defender. My defenders have to stop him,” Pochettino said. “We know Son Heung-min, he’s a fantastic player, one of the best players in the EPL. I hope it’s not a good night for him.”
On his reunion with Tottenham: “It’s really special. I’m not going to say anything about the fans’ reaction. The most important thing is that everyone knows that we will never forget the time we lived together.” “It was an amazing memory. I will respect how the fans express themselves. My feelings for the club, with whom we have had an unbelievable journey, will not change.”
Pochettino also paid tribute to manager Enzi Postecoglou, who is currently at the helm of Tottenham’s rise to prominence. “Postecoglou and the coaching staff are doing a fantastic job. They are a very good team. It’s early in the season, but they are showing the qualities to compete for the title. This game will be tough.” Finally, Pochettino was asked by The Guardian if it was similar to seeing an ex-girlfriend, given the bond they have built at Tottenham. “I’ve been married to my wife for 32 years. I don’t remember if I had a girlfriend before that. It’s difficult to answer the question,” Pochettino reportedly said.
Pochettino’s visit to Tottenham was highly anticipated because he led Spurs to their glory days in the late 2010s. Pochettino took over the reins at Tottenham ahead of the 2014-15 season, and in his first five seasons, the club consistently finished in the top four – once second, twice third, once fourth and once fifth.
At the time, the “DESK” line of Dele Alli (Everton)-Christian Eriksen (Manchester United)-Son Heung-min-Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) was considered one of the best attacking lines in the EPL. With all of them in their early to mid-20s at the time, there was some speculation that Tottenham’s best days were ahead of them.
The highlight of Pochettino’s time at Tottenham was the 2018-19 season. Tottenham reached the final of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in pursuit of their first major European trophy, defeating Dortmund (Germany), Manchester City, and Ajax (Netherlands) in the process. The quarterfinal against Ajax is still one of the most memorable games in Spurs’ history.
In the highly anticipated final, Tottenham conceded an early goal from the penalty spot. They then added a second goal in the second half. Spurs couldn’t find a way back and finished as runners-up. After a historic season, Spurs struggled the following year, and Pochettino left the club after finishing 14th in the first 12 league games of the 2019-20 season.
Despite the lack of trophies, Pochettino’s achievements at Tottenham are highly regarded. At the same time, he had a great chemistry with Son Heung-min. Heung-min has been through seven managers (including acting) at Tottenham, but under Pochettino alone, he has scored 75 goals and provided 39 assists in 203 appearances. These are all career highs in appearances, goals, and assists. Pochettino’s second most prolific player is Son Heung-min.
Pochettino’s interest in his ‘protégé’ Son Heung-min was noted last year. Pochettino was a member of the broadcast panel at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and he watched Son’s performance in the third group game between South Korea and Portugal, notably shouting “Oh my God” after seeing Son’s pass that set up Hwang Hee-chan’s (Wolverhampton) winning goal just before the end of the game.
It’s been almost four years since Son and Pochettino met. It will be interesting to see how their relationship plays out on the pitch.