Mauricio Pochettino’s funny comeback had Chelsea reporters laughing
Mauricio Pochettino’s funny comeback had Chelsea reporters laughing
Mauricio Pochettino was in a jubilant mood when he entered the press conference room at Cobham on Friday afternoon. His Chelsea side are facing their toughest challenge of the season so far on Sunday when they take on Manchester City.
You would not be able to tell that, though, with the Argentine seemingly very chilled and relaxed as he faced a host of questions from journalists. Another battle with Pep Guardiola is on the horizon and Pochettino is relishing the challenge.
As well as this, the Chelsea head coach faced some questions on the chaotic Monday Night Football win over Tottenham in north London. You have the feeling, though, that Pochettino loves the chaotic games.
Pochettino makes reporters laugh
“Why crazy?” Pochettino joked when asked about Monday night’s win over Tottenham, leaving the room full of laughter. “I learned a lot from the Battle of the Bridge seven years ago. I got a lot of criticism after the game because too many people said to me it was my fault because I don’t teach the players how to behave and control emotions in a game like this.
“I learned a lot. I think I can say this type of game is about our tactics, technique, it’s about the form, the approach of the game, how you prepare the game and to control the emotions.”
Nkunku called a ‘liar’ in Pochettino joke
Later on in the press conference, Pochettino made reporters laugh again. This time it was when he was providing an injury update regarding Christopher Nkunku, where he jokingly called the France international a “liar” for his slightly optimistic aim.
“We had some conversation,” Pochettino said on Nkunku. “He said to me, ‘Coach, I want to be ready for after the international break, [against] Newcastle’. I said, ‘You are a liar’, that is the truth.
“Nah, it’s close. He’s doing really, really, really well. We are so happy with him and how he’s doing his recovery. He is so professional.
“Romeo Lavia is also close. They were training today on the pitch. We hope that next week they will be involved with the team and then we will see after. We need to assess them and see when it is possible for them to play with the team.”
