Santiago Solari urges Mauricio Pochettino to leave Tottenham, and join a ‘really big side’

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Santiago Solari has told Guillem Balague in an interview with BBC Sport that Mauricio Pochettino needs to leave Tottenham Hotspur and join one of the “really big sides” in the near future.

Solari, 42, took over Real during a six-month period – replacing Zinedine Zidane and then being replaced by Zidane in the same season – after more than two years as manager of Real’s excellent reserve side Castilla.

He won 22 of his 32 league and cup games in charge, but suffered eight losses during his stint and that was deemed too many by the Real hierarchy. He is now without a club and looking to get back into management in the near future.

Asked about Pochettino, who is under pressure after just two wins out of eight league and cup fixtures this season, Solari urged his fellow countryman to leave Spurs and test himself at one of the world’s biggest sides – of which he excludes Tottenham.

“I am not friends with him but I know him and I admire him and what he has done last year and the year before,” said Solari. “It didn’t just happen in the final of the Champions League – it was something that was growing over four or five years.

“They have coached different teams. I would like to see Pochettino with one of the really big teams soon because he deserves the opportunity.”

TBR’s view – Solari’s verdict is damning for Tottenham

For a manager out of work and looking to get back into a job, it is remarkable that Solari has completely dissed Tottenham in the way that he has. Despite reaching the Champions League final, they are not one of the “really big teams”, he claims.

But what is more damning is that his words probably ring true. Tottenham are beginning to show cracks and although well below their potential, they are miles off the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Europe’s other top sides.

The fact that Christian Eriksen wants to move to a bigger side shows Spurs are not in that top bracket, and Solari is right.