Mauricio Pochettino was at the end of his gardening leave at Tottenham, fully recharged and talking about projects.
‘Always, you dream of the perfect club, the perfect project,’ he said. ‘I’m very open to wait for the seduction of the project rather than the country. It’s about the club and about the people, the human dimension.’
Eight months on, Pochettino took control at Paris Saint-Germain, where he enjoyed two years as a player and hailed the emotion of a reunion.
‘The perfect offer, the perfect project for us,’ he declared as he prepared for a Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.