'I hope I am at Chelsea until I die' - Pochettino declares ahead of facing former side Tottenham

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he has put his old affiliations with Tottenham in the back seat as he prepares to lead the Blues out against his former employers in the Premier League.

Poschettino rose to critical acclaim mostly due to his outstanding five-year stint as manager of Tottenham between 2014 and 2019, but now says he is fully focused on the task at hand with Chelsea as he returns to his old stomping ground with his new side.

The Argentine manager was speaking ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Tottenham’s London stadium when he reiterated that he was now Chelsea’s boss, not Tottenham's, and that he was fully focused on establishing himself with the Blues, the same way he had done at Spurs.

When asked about his relationship with Chelsea fans, compared to Tottenham fans, Pochettino said, After four months I can't lie... I hope we can arrive on the same level that I had at Tottenham".

"It would mean we're doing really well. Of course, I expect one day to be on the same level.”

The former Espanyol and Southampton manager was also asked if he dreamt of a return to Tottenham, and he immediately dispelled the notion saying, “Hopefully, I can stay at Chelsea until I die! 20 or 25 years.

Pochettino then appeared to backtrack from the previous statement, adding a caveat, “but you never know in football.”

Pochettino will playa against Tottenham for the first time since becoming Chelsea boss this summer, and looks to end his former side’s unbeaten start to the new Premier League season, which has seen them drop points in only two of their opening 10 matches.