Tottenham proved that their move for Roberto De Zerbi is one for the present and the future as they gave him a massive four-year deal.
After Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor’s tumultuous reigns, they turned to the Italian and took a big bet on him to breathe new life into the club, although his primary focus will be to avoid relegation.
However, before De Zerbi’s appointment, Mauricio Pochettino was heavily linked with a return to Tottenham.
And now, Ben Jacobs has revealed why they decided against re-appointing the Argentine, who was sacked by the club in 2019.
Tottenham looking to build new era
Pochettino made no secret of his desire to return to Tottenham, although any move would have had to wait until the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to his commitment to the USA National Team.
His return would have also been welcomed by the fans, who hold him in high regard for his successful stint with the club between 2014 and 2019.
However, despite the mutual admiration, Tottenham turned to De Zerbi over Pochettino, with Vivienne Lewis believed to be against the move.
Speaking on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, Ben Jacobs shared an interesting tidbit.
Read More: Sandro breaks silence on whether he’s joining Roberto De Zerbi’s coaching staff at Tottenham
“My understanding about Pochettino is that there were senior figures at Tottenham against hiring him as it would be a nod back to the Daniel Levy era even though it was understood it would be a popular move.
“Vivienne Lewis is understood to be one of those against rehiring Pochettino.”
De Zerbi appointment makes sense
If you overlook the romantic angle of Pochettino’s potential return, De Zerbi is a much better coach than the Argentine currently, all things considered.
Additionally, it worked out well in terms of the timing. De Zerbi left his role at Marseille last month, meaning he was immediately available to replace Tudor.
Read More: What the Tottenham players think about Roberto De Zerbi after first training session
As for Pochettino, Tottenham would have had to appoint another interim option before making a move for him in the summer, which is a decision that could have really hurt the club if they made the wrong appointment.
Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham have made a lot of wrong decisions recently. With De Zerbi, however, there is a lot of evidence that he is a fantastic coach and the right stylistic fit, so fingers crossed they’ve got this one right.
