Pochettino: It's a pity the next generation of fans won't see Messi play for Argentina, I hope more geniuses like him emerge

This week, Pochettino gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports. In the first part of the interview (which we've divided into three parts due to its length), he discussed his views on the failed Balogun transfer to Everton, Argentina's World Cup semifinal against England, Maradona and Messi.

Balogun was in the headlines last week. He was supposed to transfer to Everton, but the deal fell through. After the failed transfer, did you speak with him? Did he ask for your advice? He's now at Monaco with limited playing time in the team. He's very important to your national team, so I assume you'd want him to play more matches.

I haven't spoken to him yet, but I plan to have a conversation in the coming days and give him some space. I know this experience has been difficult for him, not being able to join Everton. I need to find out what happened with him. Of course, he knows I'll support him and I hope he gradually regains his form now.

Ideally, you'd like a player like that to be playing in the Premier League, for a team like Everton.

Yes, I was pleased to see he had the opportunity to move to the Premier League, but Monaco is also a great club.

Did you enjoy watching the World Cup?

I watched some matches.

Surely more than that.

Yes, I watched Argentina versus England.

How did you feel? Those two teams are, without doubt, your two favorites, and we've discussed before how, in another scenario, you could have managed one of them.

That match was full of emotional tension and extremely difficult for both sides. We need to understand what this game meant to the fans of Argentina and England, and the historical context that's built up over the years.

I don't like these rivalries. The game was brutal. I felt for England and, of course, I was happy for Argentina when they won. But, in my view, once the final whistle goes and the match ends, it's over.

The way England was eliminated was incredibly disappointing, a scenario we've seen many times before.

It always happens in football. The other day, I watched the Fulham versus Crystal Palace match with Tuchel. Coaching is hard; when you make a decision, you can't predict the outcome. If it works out, everyone praises you as a genius; if it fails, you're called the worst coach in the world.

At the World Cup, we witnessed the end of Messi's international career. You've witnessed his career unfold; tell us about him and how he compares to another Argentine legend, Maradona. You've experienced two generations of superstars. First, as an Argentine, how proud are you to see what Messi has achieved over the years? Do you think Messi is better than Maradona?

It's not fair to directly judge who is better, but their standards are at the same level. Perhaps Messi's consistency gives a different impression; Maradona's consistency wasn't comparable to Messi's.

It will be a great shame that the next generation of fans won't see Messi play for the national team anymore. The Argentine national team will face a difficult transition period, but Argentines have always been good at bouncing back quickly from setbacks. I believe talented players like him will emerge in the future, and I hope everything works out well.

You've extended your contract with the US team for four years. Does that mean we won't see you in the Premier League for a while?

For now, yes. At this stage, we're very happy to continue coaching in the US for another four years.

Why?

Before the World Cup, they showed us enough respect. The board proactively offered us a long-term four-year contract. I said to them at the time: "But we need to deliver results," and they replied: "No, we trust you completely and we're willing to offer this four-year contract." That made me feel completely respected, and it meant a lot.

Traduzido por IA.

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