Pochettino ducks Manchester United questions, says PSG are his priority

Paris St Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino swerved any discussion of the vacant Manchester United job on Tuesday and said his only focus was with his current club.

Pochettino has again been linked in British media with the Old Trafford dugout after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked on Sunday.

While acknowledging the short-term nature of modern football, the Argentine said his only focus was with PSG and Wednesday’s Champions League Group A game away to Manchester City.

“We’re in a business where rumours are always there but these things cannot distract you. We’re focused on giving 100% for our club, I’m so happy at PSG and we’re focused on getting the best result we can tomorrow,” he told a news conference.

“We can’t talk about that (Man United) out of respect towards my club. What another club is doing in this moment is not my business, I’m not going to make the mistake of talking as everything I say will be misunderstood.”

PSG are 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and victory against City would clinch their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The club made a huge investment in their squad last summer, signing Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos among other top international players and Pochettino said now was not the time to walk away from the project.

“I was a PSG player, I love the club and the fans and it’s a fantastic time to be here. We’re fighting for the league, fighting to qualify in the Champions League, we need to focus on that, that’s my priority and my responsibility,” he said.

But the Argentine, who spent five years in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and took the club to the 2019 Champions League final before being sacked five months later, recognised things can change quickly.

“Football is today, it’s not about tomorrow,” he said.

“Two years ago when we were at Tottenham people were linking us with other clubs and look what happened. Football is about the present. You can say many things but in the end it’s about winning and you are always judged on your results.”