How Nagelsmann and Pochettino compare with both in running for Tottenham job and having point to prove
TOTTENHAM are on the search for a new permanent manager following the sacking of Antonio Conte.
The Italian was dismissed on Sunday with Christian Stellini appointed interim boss until the end of the season.
That gives Spurs time to search for a new manager with several candidates linked to the job.
Tottenham reportedly held talks with ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel before he joined Bayern Munich last week.
And the man he succeeded at the German giants, Julian Nagelsmann, has been linked to the vacant Spurs job.
He is said to be open to talks with the North London club and has an affinity for the club – even once owning a Spurs shirt.
However Real Madrid also want the German which could mean Daniel Levy opts for a manager he knows well – Mauricio Pochettino.
Poch is open to a return and now has two trophies to boast of – Ligue Un and the Coupe de France.
He was often criticised for his failure to win silverware during his spell in the Premier League, but could return with a winning know-how that was lacking last time around.
Nagelsmann, 35, is similarly lacking on the trophy count, with one solitary Bundesliga title to his name.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
He does boast a better win percentage than Poch but has the drawback of having never managed outside Germany.
However, Nagelsmann is several years younger and boasts a better Champions League record, with 25 wins from 42 games compared to Pochettino’s 21 wins from 45.
But Poch, 51, carries favour with the Tottenham fans after delivering a second-placed Prem finishes and a place in the 2019 Champions League final.
The Argentine also reached the Carabao Cup final in 2015 and helped to develop Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier into key players.
Nagelsmann lacks his experience but has shown a lot of promise in his short career, becoming the youngest boss to win a Champions League match in September 2019, with RB Leipzig.
He guided the German outfit to the Champions League semi-final that season, defeating Tottenham 4-0 on aggregate along the way.
Naglesmann also transformed Hoffenheim from a relegation-threatened side to a Champions League outfit, and finished third in the Bundesliga in 2018.