Mauricio Pochettino is set to return to the site of the culmination of his first Tottenham project on Tuesday night.
The unfancied Lilywhites take on Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their round of 16 clash in what feels like the least important fixture on their docket down the stretch this season. A wretched domestic run of form in 2026 means relegation is suddenly a very real possibility for Spurs, just seven years on from their first appearance in the Champions League final.
A 2-0 defeat to Liverpool all but signalled the end of Pochettino's reign, with the Argentine departing five months later after a slow start to the 2019/20 campaign. The "painful rebuild" he deemed necessary was never embarked upon, and Spurs have since slumped to lows that supposed members of Europe's aristocracy simply aren't meant to experience.
The upcoming bouts with Atléti are to be cherished, because there's every chance that these two knockout fixtures will be our last in this competition for many years, especially if the unthinkable occurs and Spurs succumb to the second tier for the first time since 1977.
In such a scenario, many will wonder whether Poch, so bullish to return, reconsiders his options.
Pochettino to attend first leg of Champions League tie with Atléti
The 54-year-old will have the chance to endure the extent of his former club's sorry demise in the flesh, with many reporting, including The Athletic, that he'll be in attendance on Tuesday night as an official guest of Atléti.
While Poch, so heavily linked with a return this summer, will doubtless cast a gaze over the visitors, his primary focus will be USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who's pushing for a starting berth at this summer's World Cup and has been far more involved for Diego Simeone's side in recent weeks thanks to Pablo Barrios’ injury.
It'll undoubtedly be a poignant occasion for the Argentine, given his memories of the Metropolitano, That defeat to Liverpool didn't merely signal the beginning of the end for Pochettino in north London, but the start of Tottenham's terminal decline, culminating in potential relegation.
For so many, Poch is the only man who can get Spurs out of the mire, even if we'll have to wait until after the World Cup for his second project to get underway.
The connection between players, manager and supporters is at an all-time low, and we've all indulged in some Poch-inspired nostalgia, probably to the sweet melody of Olivia Dean, amid our current malaise.
It was a decade ago when a lilywhite outfit on the upswing seemingly had the world at its feet, and boy did they come close. We all just want to believe in something like that again, even if, deep down, we know that things will never be as they once were.