"The pair's relationship started when Pochettino was 13 years old, and Bielsa, then the club's reserve team coach, successfully recruited him to join Argentine side Newell's Old Boys, starting with a 1 a.m. visit to Pochettino's house. Bielsa later managed Pochettino at Newell's, La Liga side Espanyol, and with Argentina's national team. "Always, my admiration and my respect is massive," said Pochettino at Monday's prematch news conference. "I cannot consider him like a friend. I cannot considerate him like another normal person."
"In that match, Uruguay's physical play eventually wore down the USMNT. Pochettino is expecting more of the same from La Celeste, which finished fourth in South America's World Cup qualifying process, "Yes, [Tuesday] for me is a thing to enjoy, to be with him very close," Pochettino said about Bielsa. "And in the same time, we are going to suffer because all the team under Marcelo's management are so tough to play.""
Mauricio Pochettino expresses massive admiration and respect for Marcelo Bielsa and describes Bielsa as a hero. Their relationship began when Pochettino was 13 after Bielsa recruited him to Newell's Old Boys with a 1 a.m. visit. Bielsa later managed Pochettino at Newell's, Espanyol and Argentina. The U.S. and Uruguay will meet in a friendly at Raymond James Stadium, their first encounter since Uruguay's 1-0 2024 Copa America win that eliminated the United States. Pochettino expects Uruguay's physical style to force the U.S. to suffer. The U.S. has recently shown more willingness to match physical play.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]