USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed the notion that he could return to Tottenham Hotspur following Ange Postecoglou's dismissal.

Tottenham announced on Friday that they had decided to sack Postecoglou despite the fact that he led the club to Europa League glory in last month's final against Manchester United.

The Spurs hierarchy recognised Postecoglou's work to end the club's 17-year trophy drought, but they ultimately felt that their league finish was too big a concern to ignore. 

Tottenham finished just outside the relegation zone in 17th place after they lost 22 of their Premier League matches in 2024-25 (W11, D5).

Pochettino is one of the names that have been mentioned as a potential successor for Postecoglou, after he previously spent five years at the club before being sacked in 2019.

Pochettino sets out stance over Spurs return

The Argentine led the club to the brink of Champions League glory in 2018-19, only for their European dream to be ended by a final defeat to Liverpool.

Spurs will be back in the Champions League for the 2025-26 campaign, but Pochettino has confirmed that he will not be the man to lead the club in Europe's elite competition.

The 53-year-old insisted that he remains focused on his current job with the USA national team, although he left the door open to a Tottenham return in the future.

"Today it's not realistic," Pochettino told reporters following Saturday's 2-1 friendly defeat against Turkey. 

"Look where I am. Look where we [his backroom staff] are. The answer is so clear. I think, since I left in 2019, my name has always been on the list [of rumours].

"I've seen the rumours, we are 100 coaches on the list. Don't be worried about that. If something happens [in the future], you for sure will see, but I am so happy in this moment and we cannot talk about this type of thing."

Who is leading the race to succeed Postecoglou?

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank appears to be the leading contender to take over the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, a recent report claimed that Spurs will have to pay a significant £10m fee to get the Dane out of his Brentford contract. 

While Frank is in pole position, Fulham manager Marco Silva is another name that has been linked with the vacant coaching position at Tottenham.

There is uncertainty surrounding Silva's long-term future at Fulham, with the 47-year-old set to enter the final 12 months of his deal at Craven Cottage.