LONDON -- Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has said he will quit football if the job becomes stressful or if the supporters turn against him.
Pochettino said staying on without the support of the fanbase would damage the club, which, he stressed, is more important than any individual.
Although Pochettino was not specifically referring to Arsene Wenger's situation, it is impossible not to draw comparisons with his North London rival, who continues to cling to the Arsenal job despite widespread calls for the 68-year-old to stand down.
While the Frenchman's position appears increasingly joyless after the consecutive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City, Pochettino, speaking in general terms, said he would quit management if it became stressful.
"Of course. Because for me football means joy, happiness," Pochettino said. "I want to enjoy doing my job, enjoy helping people to achieve their dream. It cannot be a drama. When it's a drama, come on!
"If your own fans don't want or like you, there's no point to carry on working because you're going to damage your club, first of all," he added. "The fans are important, are everything, and at some point you need to go away because the club is more important than any person.
"If I am the point that creates problems at all levels of the club, to be honest I prefer to go away," Pochettino, speaking on his 46th birthday, said. "When I was young, when I started my career as a manager at 36, I put the limit at 50 [years old]. But now I promise you I don't know if I'll stay longer like Roy [Hodgson], [Sir. Alex] Ferguson or Wenger, or if I'll stop before.
"I believed when I started my career as a manager, I'd lose my hair and go grey! That I'd live in a drama. When I watched football, the manager is always criticised by everyone and tries to defend themselves, sees phantoms and is fighting with the media, fighting with the fans. That is no life. If I'm going to suffer or create a drama in my life, I prefer to go away. I don't want to stay every day fighting with people.
"But I cannot lie: My passion is 100 percent football. I cannot think of [doing] another thing. I like my farm, to be in contact with nature. Plenty of things. Sometimes it's difficult because football 100 percent absorbs your life. That's why if it 100 percent absorbs my life and my family is behind me, supporting me, football cannot be a drama for me."
But the Argentine said the job, while difficult, was less stressful than he had first anticipated and pointed to his lack of grey hairs as proof.
"True, it's not an easy job because you're judged every day by everyone. It's easy to say the manager should do this or that. But it's always about the results. If you're a professional and you want to do your job in the best way, it's not easy. When you take the decisions every day, it's impossible to make everyone happy.
"But my hair is all natural, I promise you," he said and, turning to his assistant Jesus Perez, adding, "Jesus, explain that it's natural! And I have a lot [of hair].
"It's natural because I promise you football is a joy, it's not a drama. Of course, family, managing people, relationships -- those situations [are difficult]. There's a lot of drama out of football but football cannot be a drama. You win or lose, you are responsible, you are professional. But no drama."
Arsenal fans have long called for Wenger's resignation on social media and many voted with their feet by staying away from the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, though inclement weather conditions may have contributed as well.
But, although he had acknowledged the importance of the fans, Pochettino said that the opinion of those around him was more important than the perception from outside.
"It depends on your personality, character, values," he said. "Which is my fit to feel happy? It's my people. It's how the people that are close to me think. If I'm happy when the fans on Twitter or Instagram say, 'I love Pochettino, he's the best,' that is to live not in reality. It's to live in the perception of people that don't really know you.
"For me, the most important is the people here that work with me 24 hours a day and recognise my value. We can win or lose but they can understand my decisions. But they understand that we analyse everything and are professional. And what the people think who don't know me is not my problem."