Mauricio Pochettino has reignited a past dispute with former Premier League referee Mike Dean, accusing the retired official of seeking controversy and "showing people how he was" following Dean's recent admissions about his officiating practices.
Dean recently revealed on a podcast that he engaged in "minigames" during matches, including seeing how long he could go without blowing his whistle and how long he could stay in the center circle before having to move. These comments, made by the 58-year-old who retired in 2023 after more than two decades of refereeing, have drawn widespread criticism.
Reflecting on his own past encounter with Dean, Pochettino, now the manager of the United States men's national soccer team, suggested Dean's recent remarks were an attempt to remain in the spotlight. "He was controversial. His character now - he's showing how he was," Pochettino stated.
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Pochettino's comments refer to an incident during the 2018-19 season when, as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, he had a heated exchange with Dean after a 2-1 loss to Burnley. The dispute occurred as Pochettino confronted Dean on the pitch after the final whistle. Pochettino's assistant, Jesus Perez, also intervened, demanding Dean repeat a comment made to him.
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Pochettino was subsequently handed a two-match touchline ban and a £10,000 fine for his role in the confrontation. Dean was reassigned from his fourth official duties for a subsequent match.
"What he said was a stupid thing," Pochettino recalled of the 2019 incident. "But our code is we never talk about what happened on the pitch. It's like what happened in Las Vegas - stays in Las Vegas. But in that moment we were under pressure. The perception was 'Tottenham need to win something.' It's true that we were a little bit under pressure."
Pochettino likened Dean's current behavior to "putting some salt, pepper, like a chili, some condiments" on a situation, urging the former referee to understand that "let's not put gasoline on to the fire."
Despite the past tension, Pochettino stated that he and Dean generally had a good relationship, with the 2019 incident being a "tough" moment due to the sensitive nature of the match for his team.