MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S Tottenham career has come to a bitter end with his surprise dismissal.
The Argie tactician has had plenty of ups and downs in the Spurs hotseat and SunSport looks at some of the best – and worst – moments.
Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy celebrate the Champions League semi-final win over AjaxCredit: Getty – Contributor
HIGHS
MOURA’S MIRACLE: May’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Ajax saw Spurs dead and buried at half-time.
Lucas Moura hit a second-half hat-trick — winning the tie in the final seconds of injury-time to spark wild celebrations on one of the club’s biggest nights.
SILENCING REAL: Poch put Real Madrid, still with peak Cristiano Ronaldo in their side, to the sword at Wembley in 2017.
Dele Alli scored twice in a 3-1 win that announced Spurs’ arrival on the European stage.
GETTING ONE OVER ON PEP: Pochettino was the first boss to beat Pep Guardiola in England.
The pair, who faced off with Barcelona and Espanyol, first met in this country in October 2016 and Spurs beat Pep’s Manchester City 2-0 to end their six-game winning start.
STYLISH FAREWELL: The 2016-17 season was Tottenham’s final one at White Hart Lane before its demolition. They went unbeaten in the league all season, seeing off Manchester United 2-1 in the final ever game at their old home.
ENDING BRIDGE HOODOO: They had not won at Chelsea in 28 years but, in 2017-18, goals from Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli finally gave them a victory against their London rivals.
LOWS
FINAL HURDLE: Spurs fell flat in June’s Champions League final losing 2-0 to Liverpool — having given away a penalty with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
SEVEN HELL: Poch’s side were on the end of a 7-2 Champions League hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich last month as the season began to unravel.
It was the first time Spurs had conceded seven at home in a major competition in their 137-year history.
FINAL-DAY CAPITULATION: After a thrilling title race with Leicester had seen Spurs fall short at the death, they downed tools on the final day and were thrashed 5-1 at already-relegated Newcastle.
FA CUP HEARTACHE: Spurs had lost in the FA Cup semi a year earlier, so when they got there in April 2018 it felt like their time — but they threw away the lead, losing 2-1 to Man United to back up their “Spursy” tag.
SELF-IMPOSED TRANSFER BAN: The club went 18 months and two transfer windows without bringing in any new players. It left the shattered squad lacking depth and options.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
