Pochettino: It Is a Shame Future Generations Cannot Watch Messi for Argentina, Hope Similar Talents Emerge

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

Balogun has dominated headlines over the past week. He was originally set to transfer to Everton, but the deal collapsed in the end. After the failed transfer, did you speak with him? Did he ask for your advice? He has stayed at Monaco, where he does not have many opportunities to play. He is very important for your national team, so you must hope he can play more matches.

So far, I have not spoken with him. I plan to talk with him in the next few days and give him some space. I know this experience has been difficult for him, not being able to join Everton. I need to hear what exactly happened to him. Of course, he knows I will support him, and I hope he can gradually recover his form.

Ideally, you would certainly want a player like him to be playing in the Premier League, for a club such as Everton.

Yes, I was happy when I saw 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 a few matches.

Surely it was more than that.

Yes, I watched the Argentina versus England match.

What was your feeling? These two teams can be considered two of your favorites. We previously discussed that, in another scenario, you could have potentially coached one of them.

That match was full of emotional intensity and extremely difficult for both sides. We have to understand what this game meant for the fans of Argentina and England, as well as the historical tensions between the two countries over many years.

I do not like these conflicts. The match was brutal. I felt sorry for England, and of course I was also happy for Argentina after their victory. But in my view, once the final whistle blows and the match is over, everything is in the past.

The way England were eliminated was incredibly disappointing. We have seen this kind of story happen too many times.

Things like this always happen in football. A few days ago, I watched Fulham play Crystal Palace with Tuchel. Being a coach is inherently difficult. When you make decisions, you cannot predict the outcome. If you succeed, everyone calls you a genius; if you fail, you are described as the worst coach in the world.

At the World Cup, we witnessed the end of Messi's national team career. You are someone who has witnessed his career. Talk about him and his comparison with another Argentine legend, Maradona. You have experienced two generations of stars. First, as an Argentine, how proud are you of Messi's achievements over the years? Do you think Messi is better than Maradona?

It is not fair to directly judge who is better, but both reached the same level. Perhaps Messi's consistent performances give people a different feeling. Maradona was not as consistent as Messi.

It will be a huge regret that future generations of fans will no longer be able to watch Messi on the national team stage. Argentina's national team will go through a difficult transition period, but Argentines have always been good at quickly recovering from setbacks. I believe similar talented players will definitely emerge in the future. I hope everything moves in a positive direction.

You have signed a four-year extension with the United States team. Does this mean we will not see you in the Premier League again in the short term?

At the moment, yes. Right now, we are very happy to continue coaching in the United States for another four years.

Why?

Before the World Cup, they gave us enough respect. The board of directors took the initiative to offer us a four-year contract. At the time, I told them: 'But we need to deliver results.' They replied: 'No, we completely trust you and are willing to provide this four-year contract.' This made me feel fully respected, and it was very meaningful.