Paulinho hopes Pochettino returns to Tottenham to continue 'interrupted story'

Former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho hopes Mauricio Pochettino gets to come back for a second spell at the club to "continue the story that was interrupted".

Pochettino spent five years in north London, leading Spurs to a second-place finish in the Premier League in 2016-17, as well as guiding them to their first Champions League final in 2019, which they lost to Liverpool.

Overall, Pochettino took charge of 293 games in all competitions, winning 159 of those (D62 L72).

His 54.3% win rate is the second-best of any permanent Tottenham manager, with only Andre Villas-Boas (55%) bettering that.

However, Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, just five months after the Champions League final, with Spurs struggling in the league.

Pochettino, who also managed Southampton and Chelsea in the English top-flight, has spoken of his desire to return to the Premier League in the future.

And Paulinho, who played under Pochettino in the 2014-15 season, wants the Argentinian to get a second chance with Spurs.

"Pochettino was a manager whose work I really liked, his day-to-day dynamics, the content, so he stayed at Tottenham for many years and really achieved impressive results," Paulinho exclusively told Stats Perform.

"If he feels he has unfinished business, then he has to go back. But he's a manager who did a wonderful job at Tottenham, let's say.

"It's not just good, it's not just very good, it's wonderful, for all the seasons he was there.

"So, if one day, I think if he has the opportunity to return, I think he would have that other chance and then maybe continue the story that was interrupted."

Spurs ended their 17-year wait for silverware with their Europa League triumph last season, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final, but sacked Ange Postecoglou just over two weeks after they lifted the trophy.

He was replaced by Thomas Frank, who has endured a mixed start to life with Spurs.

They currently sit fifth in the table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, but while they are unbeaten on the road, they have won just once at home, on the opening weekend.

Spurs are also yet to lose in the Champions League, sitting 10th at the halfway point of the league phase.

Paulinho says a period of adaptation under the new head coach was to be expected, but he is optimistic that they will continue to improve.

"The Premier League is tough these days. So, I think there are obviously some fluctuations in results, but that's due to the level of competition," Paulinho added.

"These moments of fluctuation will happen, and then it's obviously up to those who are managing and taking care of the processes to know the right timing to perhaps improve one situation and manage another a little better.

"And that's how I think football works. And especially when it comes to the Premier League, which gets more difficult every year.

"But I think that, overall, Tottenham has always been a club that has been very well managed by the people involved. It's an important club worldwide. So, I hope things improve."