Tottenham Hotspur legend Danny Rose admitted he was stunned beyond belief that Mauricio Pochettino became Chelsea manager.
The Argentine spent five years in North London and transformed the team into legitimate title contenders as well as leading Spurs to their first Champions League final in 2019. Despite his success, he was dismissed by Daniel Levy later on that year after a poor start to the season.
Following a season in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino returned to the Premier League with Chelsea in a two-year deal, which shocked his former player. Rose told talkSPORT: "Never would I have thought that Mauricio would be the manager of Chelsea. I was hoping and expecting him to go back to Spurs but obviously it didn't materialise."
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Chelsea and Spurs had always had a bitter rivalry but tensions peaked in the 'Battle of the Bridge' in May 2016, which saw 12 players booked at Stamford Bridge. The clash – which ended in a 2-2 draw – effectively ended the North London's side chances of winning the Premier League which was won by Leicester City.
Rose, 33, was one of the 12 players carded and admitted it was only after the game that he realised just how much bad blood existed between the two clubs. "I didn't know Chelsea hated Spurs so much," he said.
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"I never knew there was so much hatred. It felt like a school football match, everyone trying to get yellow cards. That season Chelsea were poor, they were mid-table. I remember hearing that week leading up to the game that it was the best they'd ever trained."
While Pochettino attempts to place Chelsea back on its perch, he refused to rule out a future return to North London ahead of his team's clash against Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Monday (November 6). "It’s like life, you never know what is going to happen tomorrow," the Argentine said.
"We need to enjoy today and not look too much in the future. But, for sure, if I’m not working, [and] maybe if they want me one day […] why not?"
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