Frank Leboeuf has revealed what it was like play against Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the Argentine's prospective appointment as next Chelsea manager. The 51-year-old has been leading the race to fill the vacant head coach position at Stamford Bridge for a while now, and he's expected to be unveiled as such.
football.london understands that Pochettino has agreed a deal to take the helm in west London at the end of the season. After weeks of positive talks, the two parties finally reached an agreement following the Blues' draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The 51-year-old is expected to be in London this week to put pen to paper on a three-year deal. And, with Chelsea supporters desperate for as much insight as possible on Pochettino, Leboeuf has explained what the Argentine was like as a player back in his heyday.
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Speaking to Si & Dan Talk Chelsea, the 55-year-old branded the former Spurs boss as a 'warrior'. Leboeuf said: "I absolutely wish Pochettino the best. I played against him when he was captain of PSG and I was captain of Marseille – so there was a big rivalry.
"He had his long hair! He’s somebody I always consider as one of the best centre backs that I played against. He was a strong guy, tough, a warrior, and a good mentality.
"I found him very smart the way he thinks about football when he talks and he is a very interesting guy. Hopefully he is going to bring what we are expecting from him at Chelsea – success."
Speaking on The Overlap, Gary Neville heaped tremendous praise on Pochettino as a manager. The former Manchester United defender said: "I think he [Pochettino] is a really talented coach.
"I think Chelsea next year could really surprise us. Pochettino will bring the club together because he will; he’s likeable, and the players will respect him enormously.
"I think he’ll do a very, very good job next season. He’ll cover a lot of the stuff that’s going on behind the scenes is my prediction. Those players are perfect for Pochettino; they are talented and young, but they just need direction."
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