Giovani Lo Celso speaks about his time at Tottenham Hotspur and admits that things could have been very different for him at the North London club if one man had not departed.
There was plenty of excitement among Tottenham fans when the club won the race to sign Giovani Lo Celso back in 2019.
The Argentine, along with the likes of Tanguy Ndomble, were supposed to be the finishing touches to a squad which had come one step short of European glory the previous year.
However, neither Lo Celso nor Ndombele fulfilled their potential at Spurs, with the manager who signed the pair, Mauricio Pochettino, departing just a few months after their arrival.
Lo Celso admits that Pochettino’s presence at Hotspur Way was one of the main reasons he decided to make the move to N17 and confessed that he would have liked to play under his compatriot for longer than just a few months.
When asked about Pochettino’s influence in his transfer decision, the Real Betis man told The Times: “When I decided to come, it was because of him. I got the call from Pochettino and when I had the chance I didn’t hesitate. Would it have been different if he’d stayed? I don’t know, but obviously I would have liked to spend more time with him, because of the coach he is.
“I had the chance to join the club with Pochettino and it was a beautiful thing for me to be coached by him, but then a few months later, he was fired. He was kicked out.”
However, interestingly, it was under Pochettino’s successor, Jose Mourinho that Lo Celso would go on to have his best spell for Tottenham.
When asked about his time working with the Portuguese coach, the 28-year-old said: “We had a great relationship. He is a coach of real status but at the same time, he is very, very close to the players. I have great memories playing under Mourinho.”
It was not just the constant managerial changes at Spurs that doomed Lo Celso’s career, but also the midfielder’s inability to stay fit for any sustained length of time.
Some might feel that the body could not cope with the rigours of the Premier League, but the former Tottenham man sees it differently.
He added: “There were moments, difficult moments, when injuries stopped me. It’s a different league, but I don’t think that changes much. If you look at the club today, how many players are injured? Or have been injured? Cuti [Cristian Romero] is injured, [Micky] van de Ven, Richarlison, a lot of players are injured.
“It’s a period that can happen in a club when you have so many games, so much competition. You go through those periods. I always gave 100 per cent in every game so I don’t feel any bitterness in that sense.”
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