The problem is, a manager doesn't necessarily choose when it's the right moment to go to Real Madrid. There is a saying in Spain which goes "the Madrid train only passes once in a lifetime". Maybe for people like Mourinho when he was at Inter or Capello years ago that's not accurate, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule, as they were seen as the top of the crop, the upgrades of upgrades, the best of the best.
So, under this perspective coaches have to face the dilemma, which is not really a dilemma
, of choosing between 25% success rate at Madrid (or whatever they think the success rate is) or 0% success rate at Madrid.
Now, I'd ask you to forget that I am a Madrid fan for a while, please. Try to imagine I support IFK Goteborg in Sweden or Sampdoria in Italy. And by that I mean, try not to imagine I am a Madrid fanatic and look at my opinion rather than what I am.
What's so mental about an
Argentinian manager that played and coached for most of his career in the #1 public enemy club of FC Barcelona in Catalonia, looking forward to coach one of the most successful clubs in the world, which also happens to be the #1 public enemy of FC Barcelona in Spain? If Pochettino was from Norway or Indonesia, I could understand if he had grown up with the Premier League as a reference. But an Argentine is used to idols such as Maradona, Di Stefano, Kempes, Redondo, Ayala, Ruggeri, Simeone, Riquelme, Aimar etc consistently going to the Spanish League, the Spanish League is THE league in Europe, and Real Madrid is THE club in THE league.
And now, please, don't misunderstand me. I'm sure Spurs is a phenomenal club, Levy is a genius of a chairman, the new stadium is going to be wonderful and the project is exhilarating, but quite honestly, both choices are like night and day.