Pochettino jokingly reveals the birthday present he has given to Tottenham chairman Levy
By Richard Parks
Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he intends to seek out Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to congratulate him on his birthday today (Thursday).
The long-standing Spurs chief, who has been in charge of the club since replacing Sir Alan Sugar as chairman in Feburary 2001, has turned 55.
Pochettino has a close relationship with Levy, who was renowned for hiring and firing managers for the first decade-and-a-bit of his tenure before appointing the Argentine in the summer of 2014.
“I haven’t been able to speak with him but I am going to see him later in the afternoon, because it’s his birthday today,” Pochettino said at his media conference on Thursday,” as quoted by Football London. “I want to congratulate him – happy birthday Daniel.”
Asked if he had got Levy a present to mark his birthday, the manager jokingly replied, “Yes, myself!”
Levy has revealed in a passage in Pochettino’s recently-published book that he gave the manager a Bentley as a “sign of appreciation” for his work at Tottenham.
The long-standing Spurs chief gave the manager the luxury car to make it clear how much he valued the man who has transformed the fortunes of the team since taking the reins.
Levy explained how he wants Pochettino, who signed a five-year contract in May of last year, to build a Sir Alex Ferguson-style dynasty at White Hart Lane.
“I would love nothing more than Mauricio still to be our manager in 10 to 15 years’ time,” Levy wrote in a serialisation of a new book about Tottenham in the Daily Mail. “To really build success you need time, longevity. It’s easy to go and become a manager at Real Madrid, for instance. It’s a fantastic club, don’t get me wrong, but winning at Tottenham Hotspur is far greater than winning at Real Madrid — and he agrees.
“Mauricio wants this sense of achievement, this recognition, to be the main guy. And at this club, he can be the main guy.
“At some other clubs, the president is the main guy but that’s not how it is here. I’m so low key, I want him to be the main guy. Him. Sometimes it’s nice to be given something when you are not expecting it, like the Bentley I gave him as a sign of appreciation.”
In other Tottenham news, Spurs fans have reacted – ‘Bummer’, ‘Shame for us’ – after key player ruled out of north London derby against Arsenal.
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