Pochettino faces Guardiola in battle to join elite group

Neither Mauricio Pochettino nor Pep Guardiola would quite be the youngest manager to reach the European Cup final with two different clubs. But it’s pretty close.

Mauricio Pochettino or Pep Guardiola will become only the tenth manager to reach a European Cup or Champions League final with two different clubs when Paris Saint-Germain face Manchester City in this season’s semi-final.

PSG avenged their 2020 final defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday by holding out for a 1-0 loss at the Parc des Princes, securing safe passage through to the last four on away goals.

Manchester City joined them on Wednesday with an impressive victory away at Borussia Dortmund.

Pochettino suggested the Champions League is “completely different” now in comparison to two years ago when he finished as runners-up with Tottenham, who beat Guardiola’s Manchester City in the quarter-finals that year.

If he can take PSG past City again he would be one of the youngest managers to ever reach a European Cup or Champions League final with two different teams. So too would Guardiola. And Thomas bloody Tuchel.

Avram Grant, when he inevitably makes it to the grandest stage again with anyone other than Chelsea next year, would sadly be the oldest. This season was his last chance to beat this man…

Jupp Heynckes
First final: 1998
Age: 53
Club: Real Madrid
Outcome: 1-0 win v Juventus

Next final with different club: 2012
Age: 67
Club: Bayern Munich
Outcome: 1-1 v Chelsea, 4-3 defeat on penalties

Vujadin Boskov
First final: 1981
Age: 49
Club: Real Madrid
Outcome: 1-0 defeat v Liverpool

Next final with different club: 1992
Age: 61
Club: Sampdoria
Outcome: 1-0 defeat v Barcelona AET

Louis van Gaal
First final: 1995
Age: 43
Club: Ajax
Outcome: 1-0 win v AC Milan

Next final with different club: 2010
Age: 58
Club: Bayern Munich
Outcome: 2-0 defeat v Inter Milan

Ranking every Champions League final from worst to best

Carlo Ancelotti
First final: 2003
Age: 43
Club: AC Milan
Outcome: 0-0 v Juventus, 3-2 win on penalties

Next final with different club: 2014
Age: 54
Club: Real Madrid
Outcome: 4-1 win v Atletico Madrid AET

Ernst Happel
First final: 1970
Age: 44
Club: Feyenoord
Outcome: 2-1 win v Celtic AET

Next final with different club: 1978
Age: 52
Club: Club Brugge
Outcome: 1-0 defeat v Liverpool

Next final with another different club: 1983
Age: 57
Club: Hamburg
Outcome: 1-0 win v Juventus

Jurgen Klopp
First final: 2013
Age: 45
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Outcome: 2-1 defeat v Bayern Munich

Next final with different club: 2018
Age: 50
Club: Liverpool
Outcome: 3-1 defeat v Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola?
First final: 2009
Age: 38
Club: Barcelona
Outcome: 2-0 win v Manchester United

Next final with different club: 2021?
Age: 50
Club: Manchester City

Ottmar Hitzfeld
First final: 1997
Age: 48
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Outcome: 3-1 win v Juventus

Next final with different club: 1999
Age: 50
Club: Bayern Munich
Outcome: 2-1 defeat v Manchester United

Mauricio Pochettino?
First final: 2019
Age: 47
Club: Tottenham
Outcome: 2-0 defeat v Liverpool

Next final with different club: 2021?
Age: 49
Club: PSG

Thomas Tuchel?
First final: 2020
Age: 46
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Outcome: 1-0 defeat v Bayern Munich

Next final with different club: 2021?
Age: 47
Club: Chelsea

Jose Mourinho
First final: 2004
Age: 41
Club: Porto
Outcome: 3-0 win v Monaco

Next final with different club: 2010
Age: 47
Club: Inter Milan
Outcome: 2-0 win v Bayern Munich

Udo Lattek
First final: 1974
Age: 39
Club: Bayern Munich
Outcome: 4-0 win v Atletico Madrid (replay after 1-1 AET draw)

Next final with different club: 1977
Age: 42
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Outcome: 3-1 defeat v Liverpool