#5 Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur)
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Mauricio Pochettino was scouted by Marcelo Bielsa when he was just a 14-year-old and moved to Newell’s Old Boys in 1987. Making his senior debut just a year later, the defender won his first league title with the side in 1990-91. Even though Newell’s couldn’t win the Primera Division Argentina the following year, they did win the Clausura, that is, the second half of the regular season which is usually differentiated from the first in South American football.
The Argentine moved to Espanyol when the side was promoted to the Spanish La Liga and though he couldn’t win the league there, he did help his team to a Copa del Rey victory in 2000 and then later when he returned to the side in 2006. Pochettino then made a move to France, playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux, before a return back to Spain to play for Espanyol.
Known for his solid defending acumen, Pochettino is also remembered for fouling Michael Owen inside the box during the 2002 World Cup. David Beckham stepped up to the spot to score the solitary goal of the match.
