Despite naming Lionel Messi as ‘genius’ and Kylian Mbappe as ‘killer’, Mauricio Pochettino hails 32-year-old Italian as best player he ever saw

United States men's national team (USMNT) head coach Mauricio Pochettino recently named Marco Verratti ahead of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe as the best player he has seen. The Argentine tactician managed all three superstars during his stint at Paris Saint-Germian (PSG) from 2021 to 2022.

Regarded as one of the elite coaches of modern-day football, Pochettino has managed some of the biggest clubs and players. The 52-year-old began his managerial career at LaLiga club Espanyol in 2009 before moving to the Premier League with Southampton in 2013.

Since then, he has headed Tottenham Hotspur, PSG, Chelsea, and now the USMNT. In a recent interaction with GOAL (via Bolavip), Pochettino was asked to describe some of the players he had managed in one word.

He called Neymar a “magician" and described Messi as a “genius." Kylian Mbappe was labeled as a “killer" by the Argentine manager. However, when asked to name the best player he has ever seen, Pochettino mentioned former PSG and Italy star Verratti.

Verratti, 32, was on the books of PSG from 2012 to 2023. The Italian midfielder, who now plies his trade in Qatar for Al-Arabi, made 50 appearances under Pochettino for the French giants, recording two goals and seven assists.

Pochettino, meanwhile, had some of the best talents at his disposal at PSG, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar. Despite winning the French Super Cup and the Ligue 1 title, he failed to guide them to their most-wanted trophy - the UEFA Champions League.

How did Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe perform under Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)?

Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) had one of the most prolific squads in Europe under Mauricio Pochettino's tenure as manager. During the 2021 summer transfer window, the club acquired notable names like Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The aforementioned stars joined the club ranks which already boasted of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr, amongst other highly-rated players. With Messi joining the club in 2021 and Mbappe's status as one of the most prolific forwards in the game, PSG were expected to dominate under Pochettino.

However, they only managed to assert dominance in Ligue 1 and failed to win the UEFA Champions League.

Pochettino was relieved of his duties in the summer of 2022. Under his tutelage, Messi recorded 11 goals and 16 assists in 34 matches, while Mbappe registered 67 goals and 33 assists in 75 games.