Which managers have secured success at former clubs as Mauricio Pochettino eyes Tottenham Hotspur return?
Published 18/03/2025 at 18:45 GMT
Mauricio Pochettino has opened the door to a possible return to former club Tottenham Hotspur in the future. The United States head coach said that he still maintains a good relationship with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and a comeback could be on the cards. With that in mind, we decided to take a look at managers who returned to their former clubs and rekindled the success of past years.
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It could not really happen, could it?
Speaking to Sky Sports, Mauricio Pochettino opened the possibility of returning to Tottenham in the foreseeable future.
Pochettino was sacked by Spurs in 2019, but he is likely still fondly remembered by much of the fanbase after turning the club into genuine title contenders and helping them to their first-ever UEFA Champions League final.
Pochettino will lead 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA into the tournament with high expectations, but following his stint on the international stage, a possible return to north London could be on the cards.
Many believe in the adage 'never go back', but there have been times in the past where managers have returned to their former clubs and enjoyed success.
Here, we take a look at the best comeback stories in football which could get Spurs supporters excited about a possible reunion with Pochettino in the future.
Carlo Ancelotti - Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti is the perfect example of a manager returning to his former club and thriving even more than he did during his first stint.
The Italian was Real Madrid boss from 2013-2015 and even though he was the man to finally deliver the fabled 'La Decima' - the 10th European Cup - to the Bernabeu in his first season, he was relieved of his duties the following year.
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However, Ancelotti returned to the Spanish capital in 2021 where he has added more silverware to the club's trophy cabinet and enhanced his reputation as one of the greatest managers of all-time.
Since his return, Ancelotti has won a brace of La Liga trophies and two UEFA Champions League titles, and he could be on course to win the competition in back-to-back seasons, with Madrid facing Arsenal in this term's quarter-finals.
Jose Mourinho - Chelsea
Who could forget Jose Mourinho joining Chelsea in 2004 and taking the Premier League by storm?
'The Special One' enjoyed instant success during his first stint at Stamford Bridge with two consecutive league titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
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However, he left the club in 2007. But following spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Mourinho returned to London in 2013.
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Jose Mourinho after guiding Chelsea to 2015 Premier League title.
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Although Chelsea fell short in his first season after finishing third in the league table and losing the Champions League semi-final to Atletico Madrid, Mourinho would taste success once more.
He guided Chelsea to a Premier League and League Cup double the following season to cement himself as the club's most decorated manager.
Jupp Heynckes - Bayern Munich
Jupp Heynckes was the ultimate winner - both as a manager and a player.
The German has been in permanent charge of Bayern Munich on three separate occasions and each one has seen the club win trophies.
He claimed two Bundesliga titles during his first stint at the club from 1987-1991, but it was his second stint which will truly go down in club folklore.
After a short caretaker role in 2009, Heynckes re-joined Bayern in 2011, but it was a heart-breaking comeback after losing the Champions League final on their own patch to Chelsea, as well as finishing runners-up to Borussia Dortmund in the league in his first season back.
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Jupp Heynckes celebrating with Bayern Munich players at Wembley
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Bayern and Heynckes bounced back the following season to form one of the most formidable sides in Europe and finished with the league, cup and Champions League treble in 2013.
Heynckes was subsequently replaced at Bayern by Pep Guardiola, but he returned for one final spell - and won one more league title in 2018 - before calling time on his managerial career.
Zinedine Zidane - Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane could not have wished for a better start to his managerial career.
He led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles in his first three years in charge, but decided to leave after defeating Liverpool in 2018.
However, he returned less than a year later after Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari failed to impress as successors.
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It would be a much harder job for Zidane to replicate his past European glory with Cristiano Ronaldo no longer at the club.
Although he was unable to get his hands on the Champions League again, Zidane guided Madrid to another league title and played a key role in unearthing Karim Benzema as the main attacking force at the club.
David Moyes - West Ham
Of course, he had to be on our list!
David Moyes was initially brought to West Ham on a short-term contract in November 2017 to steer the club away from a relegation battle.
The Scot achieved the feat with two matches remaining of the season, and he left when his deal expired.
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However, with the club struggling once again, Moyes returned in early 2019 and was the catalyst for West Ham avoiding the drop that season too.
This time around, Moyes extended his stay at the club and guided them back into Europe for three consecutive seasons.
The pinnacle of his time at the club came in 2023 when his side won the UEFA Conference League following a dramatic winner from Jarrod Bowen in the final against Fiorentina.
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