Pochettino insists embracing English culture is key to long term success

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes that embracing the English culture is key for foreign players and managers to succeed in the Premier League.

Pochettino’s side have developed into of the best in the league, challenging for the Premier League title at the expense of the likes of perennial challengers Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Although Tottenham are running second in the race to the finish line, they have brought through a number of young English players, and Pochettino believes that this is an important responsibility for English clubs.

“I think it’s important. We are an English club and, for me, it’s important to provide a good balance between the player and to keep the culture. We are living in England,” Pochettino was quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror. “English culture is important and you can’t be in an English club using Argentinian culture, or French, Italian, or whatever.”

Pochettino also believes that the cultural identity of a club must be kept intact, insisting that foreign players need to integrate after moving to the Premier League.

“It’s important for the foreign players who come here know that they have to integrate themselves in your culture, the English culture, and not the opposite way,” said Pochettino. “It happens a lot, not just in football. But in football if the manager is Argentinian, he brings a lot of Argentinian players, or Spanish people, for me it does not work. It can work for a short period, but not for a long time.”

Pochettino’s influence on England national team

The Three Lions have failed to shed the tag of underachievers over the years, but this is the first England team in a long time that has fans excited. After a number of star players from the past generation like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Ashley Cole retired from international football in the last few years, there were major concerns about their successors.

However, a number of new players have emerged in the last two seasons and have made promising starts to their respective England careers. Mauricio Pochettino and his Tottenham side have had a great effect on this, contributing a least five potential regular first-team players to the Three Lions in the form of Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Harry Kane. These are the stars who will be expected to take the England dream forward in the Euro 2016 tournament this summer.