Jose Mourinho says Mauricio Pochettino is the only manager in world football who is be “completely satisfied” with his squad following a summer off splurging from PSG.
The Parisians didn’t beat around the bush this summer in their quest to conquer Europe, bringing in Champions League magnets and former El Clasico captains Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos (both on a free), as well as Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It has been a window that has shocked the footballing landscape and made Pochettino’s side the overwhelming favourites to secure that ever-elusive European Cup, with their new superstar quintuple adding to a squad already bursting at the seams with elite-level talent.
The trajectories of two former Tottenham Hotspur managers have gone in completely different directions, with Pochettino now managing arguably the most talented squad ever assembled in football history, while Mourinho has arguably taken a step down to compete in the inaugural Europa Conference League.
The Portuguese has returned to Italian football a decade after leaving Inter Milan for Real Madrid and has carefully spent the summer piecing together a squad capable of challenging for the Champions League places, bringing in the likes of Rui Patricio, Eldor Shomurodov, Matias Vina and Tammy Abraham.
Mourinho’s recruitment strategy paid dividends in Roma’s opening game as new strikers Abraham and Shomurodov collectively registered three assists, the former setting up two goals, as his side beat Fiorentina 3-1, but he has admitted that no manager is ever “completely satisfied” with his squad, except for maybe one man.
“When I say anything can happen in the market, I mean the door can swing both for entrances and exits, although it’s more likely to be an exit at this point,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“Do you know of any coach that is completely satisfied with his squad? Maybe Pochettino, but nobody else!”
Pochettino has started the season in expected fashion, overseeing three opening wins to top Ligue 1 as the Parisians attempt to wrestle the title off reigning champions Lille, though fans are yet to catch a glimpse of Messi, Ramos or Donnarumma, with the former expected to make his much-anticipated debut this weekend.