Mauricio Pochettino: Several Spurs players plead with former manager to return amid Antonio Conte doubts | Football News

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy “will be pragmatic” amid huge pressure to reappoint Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs manager, with several players and staff pleading with the Argentine to return and reinvigorate the club.

There is growing belief Antonio Conte, out of contract this summer, will depart before the end of the season, with 12 games left in the campaign.

While there is no immediate sign of change, with the Italian set to undertake Friday’s press conference and be in the dugout for the hosting of Nottingham Forest, there is the understanding that things can swing very quickly in football.

Senior members of Tottenham’s squad are hankering for the brave, progressive style not seen at Spurs since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019. They also feel the development of players has been neglected.

Tottenham supporters, accustomed to their team being high-octane, dominant and captivating under the 51-year-old to then watching the inverse since, are overwhelmingly in favour of a reunion.

While Pochettino is warmly viewed by the hierarchy, club directors – and Levy in particular – won’t be swayed by emotion. As much as they remember the heights of his tenure, the reasons why it ended have not been ignored.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, meanwhile, wants Pochettino to be Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at the Bernabeu.

It is understood that Tottenham do have a list of candidates in place. Pochettino will of course be considered, but Spurs are one of three Premier League clubs filling a dossier on Roberto De Zerbi, who is expected to become Europe’s next top manager.

Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel and Marco Silva are believed to be in the equation while Thomas Frank also appeals.

Managing director of football Fabio Paratici has been heavily involved in the process of pinpointing options, but his own position is complicated.

He could face a worldwide ban should a 30-month suspension as part of Juventus’s false accounting scandal, laid down by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), not be overturned on appeal. The Serie A club have denied all wrongdoing.

Tottenham have engaged in due diligence on sporting directors so they are potentially priming for more than a managerial change.

Spurs, who also have concerns over Harry Kane’s future, crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of AC Milan on Wednesday night, their third straight defeat without scoring.

They’ve managed to find the net only twice in their last six games across all competitions to crown a season that has been marked with joyless football.

Conte told the club hierarchy in January he was “having important reflections” and needed to spend more time with his family after the passing of three close friends.

Tottenham have been very sensitive – even in terms of succession planning – to the incredibly hard few months the Italian has navigated on a personal level, compounded by undergoing gallbladder surgery that required an extended recuperation period.

Conte’s work ethic and commitment to management has never been in question, and he is well-liked at Spurs.

However, there is wide realisation that his energy and effectiveness has depreciated.

Conte admitted in the aftermath of the Champions League exit that Spurs could sack him before the end of the season, telling Italian broadcaster Prime: “Perhaps the expectations were higher, and they may be disappointed? What matters for a coach is trying to work and raise the bar. This year we are struggling to raise the bar.”