Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham 2018-19Getty Images

Pochettino could have left Tottenham if they had won the Champions League

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he may have been tempted to leave the club had they lifted the Champions League trophy at the end of last season.

The 47-year-old capped a memorable campaign by leading Spurs to their first ever final in the competition, only to fall 2-0 to Premier League rivals Liverpool at the last hurdle.

And the Argentine boss has suggested his future may well have been away from north London had the roles been reversed in the Madrid showcase.

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Pochettino made the revelation during his first press conference of the 2019-20 season, as his side prepare for a friendly with Juventus in Singapore on Sunday.

As well as fielding questions about his hopes for the coming months, Pochettino was quizzed about his emotions in the aftermath of their final defeat, and his mindset in terms of his future in the English capital.

“If the result had been different, maybe you can think it is a moment to step out of the club and give it a possibility for a real new chapter with a new coaching staff,” said the former Southampton manager.

“But, to finish like this? I am not a person who won't face problems or avoids difficult situations.

“When you touch the glory, you behave differently, the players behave differently, the challenge becomes different.

“I know Tottenham. It is not the same as another club.

“Myself and the coaching staff are not the same, no better or worse, just different. That is a normal mindset but we are getting results with ours.”

Tottenham’s competitive calendar gets underway on August 10 with a home fixture with newly-promoted Aston Villa, but a challenging pre-season campaign needs to be navigated first.

Following this weekend’s clash with Serie A champions Juve, Spurs face Manchester United in Shanghai before further friendlies in the Audi Cup in Germany – a tournament that sees them line up against Real Madrid and the winners of Bayern Munich versus Fenerbahce.

They will then wrap up preparations with the visit of Inter before the big kick-off.

When asked about the new term, he added: “In the last few years, if you compare Tottenham with Liverpool or Manchester City or Manchester United or Arsenal or Chelsea, we cannot forget that we came from a period where the priority was to build our stadium and to play more than two seasons in Wembley.

“To come up against a great team like Liverpool and then lose the final – it’s difficult to accept. But in the last week we start to train and start to motivate again.

“Of course you look forward to another season, but there are a lot of things to talk about. Every season is a massive challenge for everyone, because it’s not only my personal challenge, it’s a club challenge and a player challenge.

“We need time to settle and be in a good place, to try to work and design a plan to be in a very good position in the Premier League and of course in the Champions League.”

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