In February 1997, Pochettino lined up in Espanyol’s defence as they hosted city rivals Barcelona at the Sarria Stadium. Bobby Robson’s Barca team contained future Blue Albert Ferrer, Pochettino’s opposite number today Pep Guardiola, and Ronaldo, the Brazilian striker in the midst of what many consider his single greatest season.

Pochettino and co successfully kept Ronaldo quiet as a pair of Florin Raducioui penalties secured a 2-0 win for Espanyol, their first success over their local rivals in a decade. Over a quarter-of-a-century later, Pochettino thinks it would have been a different story were the game played now.

‘Today with VAR it’s impossible to stop Ronaldo,’ he said.

‘Before we were naughty. There weren’t the cameras there and you could use different strategies to stop the player.

‘I wouldn’t say it was easy, but now it would be really difficult. It’s easier for an offensive player now because you have to be careful with fouls. Before it was a battle in every single action.’

In light of this, how will Pochettino prepare his defenders to face Erling Haaland, who plenty believe is comparable to Ronaldo in his heyday?

‘We need to run faster, anticipate and concentrate and focus, try to anticipate him. Be clever in the way you’re going to defend the box because he’s tall. You need to jump before.

‘You need to feel really good. You need to use only good tools. Before we used good tools, and not so good tools to stop the players.’