Pochettino has been without a club since leaving Tottenham Hotspur last November despite being linked with many top European clubs.
Pochettino was linked to the Blaugrana job when Quique Setien was axed as a manager following Barcelona’s 8-2 humbling at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final. Ronaldo Koeman was eventually drafted in to usher Barcelona into a new era.
Pochettino was discussing his future in football management with Spanish news outlet Marca, and the former Southampton man was asked if he indeed came close to coaching the Catalan giants.
"They didn't offer me to coach Barca," he told Marca . "I didn't see myself with [president Josep Maria] Bartomeu.
"I did eat with Ramon Planes because we have a friendship for many years, since 2009 when he signed for Espanyol."
Having previously coached Espanyol in La Liga, the Argentine coach once opined that he will never coach Periquitos’ city rivals Barcelona.
"I was ironic then," Pochettino reflected. "It was my first news conference at Tottenham and they asked me about the Barca rumours. Then I answered with my irony and I think I went too far, I said what I said.
"It sounds very nice for the radical Espanyol fan but I did not want to speak for that radical fan. Nor do I have to justify any statement because no one can question my love for Espanyol."
When Zinedine Zidane initially left Santiago Bernabeu in 2018, Real Madrid were said to be keen on replacing the French coach with Pochettino.
The 48-year-old has labeled the Spanish champions as one of the best teams in the world and insists it is his dream to manage Los Blancos.
"I don't know if I'll ever coach Madrid, but of course it's my dream,” he said.
"If it's not the best it's one of the best clubs in the world. I'm no different, everyone has it on their dream list."
