Mauricio Pochettino has been named Manchester United’s new head coach, ending his spell with the U.S. national team to take charge of the struggling Premier League giants.
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Friday that the Argentine will leave next week for Old Trafford, just three months after signing a contract to guide the Americans through the 2030 World Cup. United, 20-time English champions, are currently in the Premier League relegation zone after 10 matches.
Pochettino has agreed to a 2.5-year deal and will officially assume his duties Nov. 18, four days before United’s trip to Liverpool. He becomes the club’s eighth permanent manager or head coach since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
United described the 54-year-old Argentine as “renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players.” The club added that he had “consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues.”
Pochettino’s appointment comes one day after Michael Carrick was fired following United’s worst league start in 40 years, with one of the world’s biggest clubs languishing in 18th place in the Premier League.
Pochettino and his assistants will remain with the U.S. team for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti on Saturday and Tuesday.
“There is tremendous talent in the U.S. player pool, from the youth teams through to the senior team, and it’s one of the reasons we have so much belief in the future of U.S. Soccer,” Pochettino said in a statement.
Pochettino took charge of the U.S. team in the fall of 2024 and led the co-host Americans to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup. The USSF is likely to sound out Pep Guardiola’s interest and could also consider promoting Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo, a former national team defender. Cherundolo will lead a senior national team training camp next month featuring mostly Major League Soccer players.
USSF CEO JT Batson and Chief Operating Officer Dan Helfrich will lead the search, assisted by women’s national team coach Emma Hayes and former U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, who is a member of the federation’s staff.
“Mauricio has left a lasting mark on U.S. Soccer through his leadership, professionalism and commitment to our players and culture,” Batson said in a statement. “What we are most proud of goes beyond the wins. He and his staff raised standards, strengthened our culture and created clearer connections from the youth national teams to the senior team.”
After coaching Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League, Espanyol in Spain and winning the French title with Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino takes charge of a club that has struggled to find stability since Ferguson led United to a record 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns during his nearly 27-year tenure.
United have not won the league since Ferguson’s final season in 2013 and have since been overtaken by rivals Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Champions League-winning coaches Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho failed to meet United’s expectations, while David Moyes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Carrick also fell short.
Despite winning the French league with PSG in 2022, arguably Pochettino’s greatest achievement was turning Tottenham into consistent Premier League title contenders and leading the club to the Champions League final in 2019.
He has never won a major trophy in England, most recently losing the English League Cup final with Chelsea in 2024.
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