Having recently been sacked by Paris Saint-Germain, Mauricio Pochettino has, for the first time, spoken out about his departure from the French capital.
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The Argentine tactician's long-expected exit from the Parc des Princes was confirmed last month after he failed to lead the French side to the UEFA Champions League title the club craves.
Speculation was rife that French superstar Kylian Mbappe was the person behind Pochettino's exit, with the 23-year-old attacker having signed an extremely lucrative deal to stay in Paris prior to his former coach being relieved of his duties.
However, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss has now refuted those claims.
"What I think is that PSG has done everything possible to retain Kylian and I also agree with that," the 50-year-old told Argentine news outlet Infobae.
"He is one of the best players in world football today and I think that PSG, having all the resources to do it, have convinced him to stay. But I don't think Kylian is the one who designed the new project either [that saw him leave].
"Those who rule, in this case the president, are those who would have thought that the most convenient thing was a new project in the club."
The former centre-back also reflected on his year-and-a-half tenure at the club, insisting that it was an enjoyable experience despite a few challenges.
"I think it has been very positive," Pochettino added.
"Experiences must always be capitalised on and [we must] learn from them.
"We are rational beings who have to think that way. In the sporting aspect we have won the Cup, the Super Cup and the league in a year and a half, but it is clear that PSG's project is to win the Champions League and everything that is not winning the Champions League can always be thought to have been a failure.
"In any case, it is a failure of 50 years, not only of the last season, because PSG, especially in the last 10, 11 years, with the arrival of the new owners, has the objective of winning the Champions League."
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