A special night at the national stadium as Noni Madueke makes his senior England debut. π Congratulations, Noni! π
As the next coach of the U.S. men’s national team, Pochettino replaces Berhalter.
21 months before the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino, a former manager of Tottenham and Chelsea, was appointed on Tuesday to take over as coach of the men’s national team.
The 52-year-old Argentine Pochettino was the country’s 10th coach in 14 years and its first foreign-born manager since 2011β16, when he replaced Jurgen Klinsmann. After winning a Ligue 1 championship, Pochettino left his positions as coach of Espanyol in Spain (2009β12), Southampton (2013β14), Tottenham (2014β19), Chelsea (2023β24), and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2021β22).
“It concerns the journey that this team and this nation are embarking on,” USSF-released statement from Pochettino read. “What inspired me was the fervor, the drive, and the desire to accomplish something genuinely historic here.”
After five hours of talks that began in mid-August, Pochettino met for the first time with Matt Crocker, the sporting director, and JT Batson, the CEO of the USSF, in Barcelona. When Pochettino began his career at Southampton, Crocker was the academy director for that team.
The USSF announced that Pochettino will captain the team at the World Cup, however the length of the deal was not disclosed.
In a statement, Crocker said, “Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams.” “I have no doubt that he is the best person to tap into our incredible team’s potential.”
Two days prior to a press appearance in New York, on Wednesday, Pochettino was scheduled to arrive in the United States. He will take charge for two friendliesβagainst Panama on October 12 in Austin, Texas, and again three days later in Mexicoβbefore taking charge of his first competitive games in November, which will be a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
Former American goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who is currently an ESPN pundit, stated of the announcement that “we were going to get a guy that basically wins everything,” “that was one thing that I found a little funny.” Although Pochettino doesn’t have the same resume as Jose Mourinho, he has undoubtedly achieved success, especially at teams like Southampton and Tottenham who lacked the financial resources to sign every player in the world.
Keller continued, “He understands how to collaborate in a group that may have specific constraints.” “We must acknowledge that we are still not Germany, Argentina, Brazil, or France.”
The USSF administration and fan base, who think the player pool is capable of far more than its No. 16 world ranking, have high hopes for Pochettino when he comes.
On July 10, one week after the Americans lost in the Copa America preliminary stage, Berhalter was sacked. After losing 3-1 to the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup second round, he was permitted to leave when his contract expired in December 2018. However, he was recruited again in June 2023 and will make a return in September.
Pochettino’s pay was kept a secret. According to the USSF, Kenneth C. Griffin, the CEO of Citadel and his charitable organization Griffin Catalyst, provided a leadership gift to support his hiring. Scott Goodwin, the managing partner of Diameter Capital Partners, an asset management company, and USSF business partners also provided support.
Assistant coach Mikey Varas, who worked under Berhalter, led the side in two friendlies: a 2-1 loss to Canada on Saturday and a 1-1 tie with New Zealand on Tuesday.
As co-hosts of the World Cup, the United States will be seeded, meaning that in a competition that will feature 48 teams, it is unlikely to have any countries ranked in the top nine in its first-round group. In the new round of 32, the Americans most likely wouldn’t play a top-tier opponent if they win the group. Since 2002, the US has not advanced to the quarterfinals.
Before the team gets together for the World Cup, Pochettino probably won’t have his entire roster available for more than eight one-week training sessions. The Americans have struggled to keep discipline on the field and are scant at goalie and center defense.
“I see a group of players with amazing talent and potential. Together, we can create something truly exceptional that the entire country can be proud of,” stated Pochettino.
From the late 1980s until 2006, Pochettino was a central defender for Bordeaux, PSG, and Newell’s Old Boys in Europe and Espanyol, PSG, and Argentina in Argentina. In his two World Cup appearances (1999 Copa AmΓ©rica and 2002 World Cup), he was involved in a foul call on Michael Owen that resulted in David Beckham’s penalty kick during Argentina’s 1-0 loss in the group stage.
Following his playing career, he joined Espanyol’s coaching staff. In January 2009, he assumed the role of first-team coach and assisted the squad in avoiding relegation. With the team in last place, Pochettino was sacked in November 2012, and the English club Southampton hired him two months later.
Pochettino relocated to Tottenham in May 2014; the team advanced to the 2015 League Cup final but lost to Chelsea, and the 2019 Champions League final was lost to Liverpool. In November 2019, with Spurs in 14th place, he was fired and Jose Mourinho took over.
Pochettino joined PSG in January 2021. The team won the French Cup, defeating Monaco 2-0 in the championship match, although they finished second in the league and fell to Manchester City in the semifinals of the Champions League. PSG, led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, defeated Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League after winning the 2022 Ligue 1 championship with four games remaining.
After PSG ended in 12th place, Pochettino left the team at the end of the 2022β2023 season. Chelsea then hired him in June 2023. Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League and missed out on the Champions League after losing to Liverpool in the League Cup final. Two days following the last game, Pochettino departed.