Taking Barcelona Manager Position 'Impossible,' Says Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has said it would be "impossible" for him to ever become manager of Barcelona because of his loyalty to their local rivals Espanyol.

Pochettino made more than 300 appearances for the Periquitos in two spells before taking charge of them in his first managerial position between 2009 and 2012.

The 46-year-old spoke to Marca's Jose Felix Diaz ahead of Barcelona's visit to Wembley Stadium in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

When asked if managing Barcelona was still not an option, he said:

"It is something that is more than understood.

"I have a lot of friends in Barcelona, who are from the Blaugrana and to whom I have enormous respect, but my path and that of Barcelona are different, opposite directions, and coaching there would be impossible."

Pochettino added: "It motivates me, being a Periquito and living for so many years in Barcelona. Going back to the city is always nice and playing against Barca, too. It is always motivating."

Under his tutelage, Espanyol finished in La Liga's top half in three of his four seasons in charge, including two eighth-placed finishes in back-to-back campaigns.

Pochettino is yet to win any silverware as a manager but has transformed Spurs into a side consistently capable of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, achieving three consecutive top-four finishes.

In what might particularly appeal to Barcelona given their history of bringing players through from their La Masia academy, he has also overseen the development of younger players like Harry Kane and Dele Alli into stars at the top of the game.

On BBC 5 live, football journalist Guillem Balague gave further insight into speculation linking him with a move to the Camp Nou:

For now, Pochettino said he just wants to "do a great job with Tottenham and win some titles," when asked about his ambitions.

He added:

"We are happy to have been able to change the club culture and its way of working.

"At a professional level, some day I'd like to be Argentina coach and also coach Newell's Old Boys, where I started.

"They are two of the dreams I have, but for now, it's to get Tottenham as high as possible and always winning. That is my philosophy."

The coach has also been linked with a possible move to Real Madrid, particularly before Julen Lopetegui was announced as Zinedine Zidane's replacement in June.

Pochettino believes the rumours are a sign "we are doing a good job and that we attract attention in the football world," and he is using them for motivation.

When asked whether he is hoping to join Los Blancos, the manager neither confirmed nor denied such an ambition, merely stating that he follows "Real Madrid and all the teams" in La Liga.

Though he may be yet to pick up any trophies in his managerial career, he's nevertheless done an excellent job so far.

Pochettino signed a five-year contract with Spurs in May, so his short-term future is tied to them, but it would hardly be a surprise to see him take charge at a club of Real's stature at some point, particularly if he does add honours to his resume.