United States coach Mauricio Pochettino has played down speculation about a return to his former club Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League side sacked Ange Postecoglou, saying it was not a realistic option at this stage.

Spurs sacked Postecoglou on Friday, 16 days after the 59-year-old Australian guided them to a first major trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

But the north London club also endured their worst domestic season for nearly half a century under Postecoglou, finishing one place above the relegation zone after losing 22 games.

Argentine Pochettino, 53, guided Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final and turned them into Premier League title contenders as they finished in the top four for four straight seasons before he was fired in 2019.

“After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list,” Pochettino told reporters after the United States was defeated 2-1 by Turkey in a friendly match in Connecticut on Saturday.

Several managers have been linked to the Spurs job, including Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Fulham’s Marco Silva, with the club searching for a fifth full-time manager in six years.

“If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don’t be worried about that,” Pochettino said.

Pochettino, who left his position as Chelsea manager in May last year after one season in charge, has a big job on his hands, having been tasked with leading the United States at the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

The former Espanyol, Southampton and Paris Saint-Germain manager signed a two-year contract with the United States in September.

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“If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it’s not real. It’s not realistic,” he said.

“And look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newell’s (Newell’s Old Boys) or Espanyol.”

The United States will next host Switzerland in a friendly in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday as Pochettino’s side looks to avoid a fourth straight loss.

Reuters