Pochettino admits Mourinho soft spot

Espanyol boss Mauricio Pochettino has confessed he has a soft spot for his Real Madrid counterpart Jose Mourinho.

In an interview with Onda Cero radio’s El Primer Toque programme, the Argentine revealed how he thought Mourinho was ‘a great Coach’ and admitted that Los Pericos ‘have a problem’ if they fail to win at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

“I like Mourinho. I have to admit I have a soft spot for him because I think he is a great Coach, manager, and team leader, not because of how he acts but because of the results he has had, which have not been by chance,” said Pochettino.

“I also like his style of football. Madrid are a vertical team that doesn’t elaborate as much as Barca, and that’s praiseworthy. Mourinho is the best of the best, something he has shown in his 10 years as a Coach.”

Moving on to the weekend game with Rayo at the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas, Pochettino recognised it is a vital one for the Catalans, yet is hoping for better luck than his team has enjoyed so far this term.

“I’ve felt helpless and frustrated at times. We should be further up the table with more points, but football is like that.

“Of the seven games played, we’ve been a man down in five and fortune has been against us rather than with us, but we must not lose heart. We know it won’t be easy and involves a lot of work, so that’s what we need to do.

“It’s at times like this that the squad can stand up. Unfortunately, the circumstances are what they are and when the ball doesn’t go in all the good work is undone. We are playing as we’ve always done, with the same difficulties, but every year we have to rebuild the team because the economic situation demands it.

“The club needs to generate income through the sale of its best assets, but we need to take that on board,” he conceded.

Tags mourinho Pochettino
La Liga - Club News