Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that there was discord between he and his midfielder/defender Eric Dier last season, and that the drama was instigated by Manchester United’s pursuit, and an approach by Jose Mourinho.
“Brave New World: Inside Pochettino’s Spurs” is a new book by internationally acclaimed football journalist Guillem Balague, and the Daily Mail published a detailed and juicy excerpt.
Pochettino recalls Dier and Mourinho having a substantial conversation with one another after Tottenham’s 1-0 loss at United this past December. Pochettino said Mourinho then gave Moussa Sissoko a hug and spoke to Eric Dier in Portugese in the tunnel, and how much that bothered him.
In the excerpt, Pochettino also said that he ended up arguing with Dier about what his true position is, and that they had to spend four hours the next day hashing out the situation. Additionally, they have had to make adjustments now about how they handle postgame protocol on the pitch whenever they take on Mourinho and United.
“I found out that United have made an approach and the player is being destabilized. His people have been putting pressure on him, although United are not promising anything,” Pochettino said.
“Mourinho and I had finished our interviews at Old Trafford and the players were doing their warm-down on the pitch. When Jose was done with the press, he stood by the entrance to the tunnel and regarded the returning players.
“He greeted Moussa Sissoko and hugged Dier. They passed by me en route to the dressing rooms, laughing, speaking in Portuguese. Maybe it is a common Mourinho tactic, but he put Eric in a compromising position. You cannot do that after a defeat.”
Pochettino also said that they have resolved the situation now:
“‘Are you friends with Mourinho?’ I asked him. ‘No, but I’ve known him a long time, from my time in Portugal … one of his godsons coached me. He always says hello.’
“I sat down with Eric after lunch on Monday and we chatted for four hours about the whole shebang: his agent, family, confusion.
“As for the Mourinho incident, ‘What could I have done?’ Eric asked me. He told me about United’s interest since last summer [2016] and I explained the situation to him clearly.”
The Spurs boss also maintains that his 23-year-old Englishman is now settled with his current situation at White Hart Lane, despite the interest Old Trafford had in acquiring him.
“‘Look, you aren’t leaving because you signed a five-year deal with us in August. You’re among the highest-paid players at Tottenham at the age of 22. You’re important to us and you could become the best centre-back in the Premier League.’
“Ever since that conversation, Eric admits that he could have waited for Mourinho to be out of sight before heading to the dressing room.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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