Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham won't cash in on pre-season tour
MAURICIO POCHETTINO yesterday laid the rest of his Premier League rivals open to accusation of putting cash ahead of football when he persuaded chairman Daniel Levy not to inflict a money-spinning pre-season tour on his players this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino has chosen to take his squad to Australia in May
The Tottenham manager said it is “never proper” for teams to globe-trotting in search of lucrative commercial deals ahead of a season and is not even tempted to head for Europe during the closed season in order to focus on preparations for the 2015-16 season.
Instead, the club have agreed to fly to Sydney for a match on May 30 – six days after the end of their domestic campaign – to join the Australian city’s week of sporting and cultural celebrations.
In return, though, Levy agreed that after Pochettino walked into a punishing tour of the States last summer, he would be given free-rein to put his players through an uninterrupted boot camp at their Enfield base with the players staying in England all summer and only travelling for carefully-arranged pre-season friendlies.
“It was my decision to go to Australia,” Pochettino said. “Daniel came to my office and he was very happy. We will take one week after the Everton game.
“It’s important because we’re trying to avoid going on tour during pre-season.
“It’s never proper for the team to go to Asia or America at the beginning of the season to spend time doing commercial business.
“I’ve had bad experiences of tours, when you’re going far away. Experiences as a player helps as a manager. It can upset your preparations.
“So we’d rather do it post-season. Then, for pre-season, we’ll be in England. The weather is very good – I love it. No, not Spain – Spain is for holidays.
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“The first period of pre-season is very important for our style and to set the basis of the team.
“The aim is to combine the business responsibilities of the club with the needs of the team.”
Tottenham’s approach contrasts strongly with the money-grabbing attitude of most of the rest of the Premier League.
It was my decision to go to Australia
Mauricio Pochettino
Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal was highly-critical of the club’s exhausting pan-American schedule when he arrived last summer yet the only sop he seems to have been given by chief executive Edward Woodward is that this summer the club are expected to restrict their appearances to just one coast of the US when they reveal the final details.
Next season starts on August 8 – one of its earliest dates ever – in order to give players plenty of time to prepare for the European Championships the following summer.
However, Manchester City have confirmed they will play Real Madrid on July 24, just two weeks before the kick-off, and may yet squeeze in another fixture in the Far East on their route home.
Arsenal are one of three teams rumoured to be taking part in the Premier League-organised Barclays Asia Trophy, due to take place in Singapore in July while Liverpool are also in Australia – playing Brisbane on July 20 with a fixture also expected to be pencilled in on the way home.
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Chelsea have been linked with a game against Barcelona in the Americas, but are yet to reveal any of their plans.
Last summer, it was they who decided to forego a full commercial tour, taking just a few days in Austria in Holland, with two, possibly three trophies likely to be on their way to Stamford Bridge in consequence.
The only slight concern with Tottenham’s Sydney date is that most of the squad are required for an international double-header in June.
Pochettino had already talked about burn-out with regard to Harry Kane and on Wednesday had preliminary discussion with Gareth Southgate about his inclusion in the Under-21 European Championships at Tottenham’s 3-2 win over Swansea.
“We met Gareth Southgate at White Hart Lane before the Swansea game,” he confirmed.
“We talked about many things in my office - the relationship is very good.
“We talked in general – about ideas, philosophy and how we can help develop young players. One thing is clear.
“The main objective for everybody involved is to create players who can play at a high level for the national team.”
