Mauricio Pochettino was among the candidates to replace Unai Emery at Arsenal in 2019.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly open to joining Arsenal after Unai Emery was sacked in November 2019, despite leaving north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur just weeks ago. The Argentine spent five years at Spurs before being sacked after a poor start to the campaign which saw his side win just three Premier League matches.
Around the same time, Arsenal parted ways with Emery after 18 months in charge, with results and performances “not up to par”. Pochettino was among the candidates being considered for the vacancy, with the Telegraph reporting that he is ready to hold talks over a potential move to the Emirates Stadium.
However, former Arsenal sporting director Edu ultimately chose Mikel Arteta, then Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, despite being less experienced than fellow candidates Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti and Patrick Vieira.
A phone call with Arteta is understood to have been crucial in convincing then Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar that he was the right man for the job. “I interviewed six coaches, all of whom have great experience,” Edu explained.
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“The only one who didn’t have a lot of experience was Mikel. When I decided to give Mikel an opportunity, I texted him and called him. We started talking on the phone about the opportunity, the situation, the project, everything.
“This conversation easily lasted an hour and we had a great time on the phone, talking about family, culture, projects, everything – but not much about football. We ended the call as friends. We both had a lot of fun, laughed together. We really enjoyed the conversation and then agreed to meet in person.”
“I presented to Mikel what we believed was right for the club,” Edu said. “I spoke to him about the squad, the culture, the strategy and everything I thought about during my six months at the club. And Mikel was very open to the conversation.
Edu continued: “He was ready to the level where he already felt inside the club. He presented everything and talked. Everything. It was very impressive, the way he presented his strategy, his vision for the club and also the excitement he had to start the project. I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is ready for the next level.’
Edu then revealed how Arsenal’s hierarchy arrived at the decision to appoint Arteta.
“We brought pictures of all the names I interviewed,” he said. “All their faces were on the table. I was ready to speak to the group through each of them.
“Michel’s face was in front of everyone because he was so impressive. I remember Raul saying: ‘If his picture is on the front, let’s call the guy and make a decision right away.'”
Arteta has remained at the helm since then, leading Arsenal to the Premier League title, FA Cup and three Community Shields.