The Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, the current head coach of the United States national team, sparked widespread controversy after new statements he made.

The former coach of Espanyol spoke candidly about his stance on Barcelona, reiterating that he will never coach the Catalan team under any circumstances, emphasizing his deep connection to Espanyol and his ideological stance related to Barcelona.

Pochettino said: "I believe Espanyol is a more independent club, and more Catalan than Barcelona."

He added: "I always try to explain this, and I hope I am not misunderstood. They say Barcelona is more than just a club, but what does that mean? Should we instill certain ideas in children? I believe Barcelona is wrong in this matter."

He continued: "Every football team has its own culture, and Barcelona is a great club, but I do not agree with what they want me to adopt or what they want to sell to people."

He confirmed: "My phrase that I said: I would go work on my farm in Argentina before coaching Barcelona? It still stands, right?"

He went on: "I am completely tied to Espanyol. People always tell me: We'll see, if Barcelona offers you one day, what will you say? And I tell them, I can assure you that I will not coach Barcelona."