Former City manager makes bold claim about Pochettino and Klopp

Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino would be “killed” if they were managing in Italy.

Mancini, who now manages the Italian national team, is familiar with both English and Italian football, having managed in the Premier League and Serie A. He feels that fans in Italy would not have been as patient with either man as they have been in England.

“We know that it always exaggerates here (in Italy),” said Mancini in quotes reported by Calciomercato. “Let’s think about Pochettino: Five years at Tottenham, he has a great team and he didn’t win anything, in Italy they would have killed him!

“The same goes for Klopp. In Italy, there are coaches who win and are questioned.”

Mancini’s comments may come across as a little harsh; Pochettino has transformed Spurs from a modest side into one of the best in England. That being said, he has never won a major trophy, although he has nearly guided the Lilywhites to the Premier League title twice in recent years.

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Klopp has also transformed Liverpool into a world-class side but has not steered them to a major trophy as of yet. The Reds are, however, very much in the running for the Premier League title. A slip-up from Manchester City on the final day of the season could result in them claiming their first ever Premier League crown.

The Merseysiders look unlikely to emulate their record from last season’s Champions League, which saw them reach the final of the competition. They lost their Champions League semi-final clash against Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou this week and it is unlikely that they will be able to overturn such a hefty deficit in the return leg at Anfield.

There is no doubting that both Pochettino and Klopp are quality managers and two of the world’s best. It does, however, remain to be seen when they will finally win a major trophy with their respective clubs and which will actually do so first.