Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy says sacking Mauricio Pochettino is the hardest managerial decision he has ever had to make and has left the door open to the former head coach returning to the club in some capacity one day.

Levy took the difficult decision to sack Pochettino last month after a five-year spell in which he established Spurs as top-four regulars and reached the Champions League Final in June.

The team had slumped to 14th in the Premier League after a poor run of domestic form stretching back throughout 2019 - taking 24 points from Pochettino’s final 25 matches.

Asked in the second part of an exclusive interview whether it was the hardest managerial change he has had to make, Levy told Standard Sport: “Yes, because you have to understand I had built up a personal relationship with Mauricio over five-and-a-half years.

“It is not something I ever wanted. Personally, it was incredibly difficult, I told him that and he understood. He’s been in football, he understands.

“It’s not personal and I’m sure he’ll come back stronger and get an opportunity to manage another great club.”

Mauricio Pochettino's best results as Tottenham boss 24 show all Mauricio Pochettino's best results as Tottenham boss 1/24 A new era begins..... May 28 2014: Mauricio Pochettino signs a five year deal to become Tottenham's new manager. Getty Images 2/24 Tottenham 5 Chelsea 3 1 January 2015 - Harry Kane announces himself on the big stage as Spurs sweep Jose Mourinho's men aside at the Lane. Getty Images 3/24 Tottenham 2 Arsenal 1 7 February 2015 - Spurs come from behind to see off the Gunners and climb one point above their rivals. 4/24 Tottenham 4 Manchester City 1 26 September 2016 - Manuel Pellegrini's side have no answer to a potent Spurs attack and are powerless to prevent a rout. 5/24 Tottenham 4 West Ham 1 22 November 2015 - Spurs come flying out of the blocks and put a talented Hammers team to the sword with another four-goal haul. 6/24 Manchester City 1 Tottenham 2 14 February 2016 - Christian Eriksen caps a superb away performance at the Etihad Stadium. Pochettino leads the passionate celebrations at full time. AFP/Getty Images 7/24 Tottenham 3 Manchester United 0 10 April 2016 - Louis van Gaal's side are blown away in six second-half minutes. Getty Images 8/24 The next chapter.... Mauricio Pochettino reaches a verbal agreement to extend his contract until 2021. 9/24 Tottenham 2 Manchester City 0 2 October 2016 - An Aleksandar Kolarov own goal and a Dele Alli strike help Spurs sweep Pep Guardiola's men aside. Getty Images 10/24 Tottenham 2 Chelsea 0 4 January 2017 - Dele Alli scores twice to help Spurs bring Chelsea's 13-game winning streak to an end. Getty Images 11/24 Tottenham 2 Arsenal 0 30 April 2016 - Harry Kane and Dele Alli are on target as Spurs confirm a superior league finish to their rivals for the first time since 1994-95. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 12/24 Tottenham 2 Manchester United 1 14 May 2016 - Spurs bid farewell to White Hart Lane in style with Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane on target for the Lilywhites. AP 13/24 Tottenham 3 Borussia Dortmund 1 13 September 2017 - Tottenham banished last season's European disappointment with a thumping opening win at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 14/24 Real Madrid 1 Tottenham 1 17 October 2017 - A depleted Spurs impressed in the Bernabeu to record a vital Champions League point. Getty Images 15/24 Tottenham 4 Liverpool 1 22 October 2017 - Spurs put their top four rivals in their place with a resounding win under the arch. Stu Forster/Getty Images 16/24 Tottenham 3 Real Madrid 1 1 November 2017 - Tottenham follow up their result in Madrid with a memorable victory over the Champions League holders at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 17/24 Juventus 2 Tottenham 2 13 February 2018 - Tottenham fightback from being 2-0 down inside ten minutes to claim a memorable draw. However, they would lose the second leg 2-1 at Wembley. Getty Images 18/24 Chelsea 1 Tottenham 3 1 April 2018 - Spurs record their first win at Stamford Bridge since 1990 thanks to goals from Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli double. REUTERS 19/24 Barcelona 1 Tottenham 1 11 December 2018 - A draw a Camp Nou clinched Tottenham's progression to the Champions League knock-out stages. AFP/Getty Images 20/24 Tottenham 3 Dortmund 0 13 February 2019 - Tottenham thump the Bundesliga side in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie. REUTERS 21/24 Dortmund 0 Tottenham 1 5 March 2019 - Harry Kane's goal sealed a 4-0 aggregate win and an impressive 1-0 victory in Germany. Bongarts/Getty Images 22/24 Tottenham 1 Man City 0 9 April 2019 - Heung-min Son scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham won the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final. AP 23/24 Man City 4 Tottenham 3 Fernando Llorente was the hero for Tottenham as his late goal sent Spurs through to the Champions League semi-finals on away goals. Mike Egerton/PA Wire 24/24 Ajax 3 Tottenham 3 Lucas Moura's stunning hat-trick saw Spurs come from behind to book their place in the Champions League final. Getty Images 1/24 A new era begins..... May 28 2014: Mauricio Pochettino signs a five year deal to become Tottenham's new manager. Getty Images 2/24 Tottenham 5 Chelsea 3 1 January 2015 - Harry Kane announces himself on the big stage as Spurs sweep Jose Mourinho's men aside at the Lane. Getty Images 3/24 Tottenham 2 Arsenal 1 7 February 2015 - Spurs come from behind to see off the Gunners and climb one point above their rivals. 4/24 Tottenham 4 Manchester City 1 26 September 2016 - Manuel Pellegrini's side have no answer to a potent Spurs attack and are powerless to prevent a rout. 5/24 Tottenham 4 West Ham 1 22 November 2015 - Spurs come flying out of the blocks and put a talented Hammers team to the sword with another four-goal haul. 6/24 Manchester City 1 Tottenham 2 14 February 2016 - Christian Eriksen caps a superb away performance at the Etihad Stadium. Pochettino leads the passionate celebrations at full time. AFP/Getty Images 7/24 Tottenham 3 Manchester United 0 10 April 2016 - Louis van Gaal's side are blown away in six second-half minutes. Getty Images 8/24 The next chapter.... Mauricio Pochettino reaches a verbal agreement to extend his contract until 2021. 9/24 Tottenham 2 Manchester City 0 2 October 2016 - An Aleksandar Kolarov own goal and a Dele Alli strike help Spurs sweep Pep Guardiola's men aside. Getty Images 10/24 Tottenham 2 Chelsea 0 4 January 2017 - Dele Alli scores twice to help Spurs bring Chelsea's 13-game winning streak to an end. Getty Images 11/24 Tottenham 2 Arsenal 0 30 April 2016 - Harry Kane and Dele Alli are on target as Spurs confirm a superior league finish to their rivals for the first time since 1994-95. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 12/24 Tottenham 2 Manchester United 1 14 May 2016 - Spurs bid farewell to White Hart Lane in style with Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane on target for the Lilywhites. AP 13/24 Tottenham 3 Borussia Dortmund 1 13 September 2017 - Tottenham banished last season's European disappointment with a thumping opening win at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 14/24 Real Madrid 1 Tottenham 1 17 October 2017 - A depleted Spurs impressed in the Bernabeu to record a vital Champions League point. Getty Images 15/24 Tottenham 4 Liverpool 1 22 October 2017 - Spurs put their top four rivals in their place with a resounding win under the arch. Stu Forster/Getty Images 16/24 Tottenham 3 Real Madrid 1 1 November 2017 - Tottenham follow up their result in Madrid with a memorable victory over the Champions League holders at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 17/24 Juventus 2 Tottenham 2 13 February 2018 - Tottenham fightback from being 2-0 down inside ten minutes to claim a memorable draw. However, they would lose the second leg 2-1 at Wembley. Getty Images 18/24 Chelsea 1 Tottenham 3 1 April 2018 - Spurs record their first win at Stamford Bridge since 1990 thanks to goals from Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli double. REUTERS 19/24 Barcelona 1 Tottenham 1 11 December 2018 - A draw a Camp Nou clinched Tottenham's progression to the Champions League knock-out stages. AFP/Getty Images 20/24 Tottenham 3 Dortmund 0 13 February 2019 - Tottenham thump the Bundesliga side in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie. REUTERS 21/24 Dortmund 0 Tottenham 1 5 March 2019 - Harry Kane's goal sealed a 4-0 aggregate win and an impressive 1-0 victory in Germany. Bongarts/Getty Images 22/24 Tottenham 1 Man City 0 9 April 2019 - Heung-min Son scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham won the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final. AP 23/24 Man City 4 Tottenham 3 Fernando Llorente was the hero for Tottenham as his late goal sent Spurs through to the Champions League semi-finals on away goals. Mike Egerton/PA Wire 24/24 Ajax 3 Tottenham 3 Lucas Moura's stunning hat-trick saw Spurs come from behind to book their place in the Champions League final. Getty Images

Levy believes new boss Jose Mourinho will enjoy a long and successful spell in north London, saying the Portuguese was “absolutely the No1 candidate” for the job. But asked whether Pochettino could return to the club in the future, Levy said: “Why not? I don’t close the door on anything.”

Levy will not be drawn on his reasons for sacking Pochettino but he was in no doubt that change was necessary.

He said: “I’m not going to sit here and analyse the past. It’s not productive. Mauricio did a fantastic job, we are very grateful. I wish him all the best for the future. I’m still in contact with him.

“My relationship is very good with him. It just got to the point where it felt we needed a divorce.

“But it is hard managing a club. The pressure these managers are under is immense. There aren’t many managers that manage a club for five years. [The longevity of Sir] Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is very, very, very unusual.

“When they first started, the League wasn’t where it is today. It is so competitive and intense. I think it is very unlikely you are going to see a repeat of that. The Ferguson and Wenger eras are in the past.

“We are obsessed in this country with the longevity of the so-called ‘manager’, in Europe it is normal every two years to get someone else. It isn’t personal. They don’t even sign five-year contracts. They sign for two years and then another coach comes in.

“Mauricio and Jose are great coaches. They are different, they have different styles and Mauricio took us a long way.

In Pictures | Jose Mourinho unveiled at Tottenham | 20/11/2019 3 show all In Pictures | Jose Mourinho unveiled at Tottenham | 20/11/2019 1/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 3/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC 1/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 3/3 Tottenham Hotspur FC

“He did an amazing job and I’m sure that Jose will do equally an amazing job in a different way.”