FIVE THINGS TO KNOW: MAURICIO POCHETTINO

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

Mauricio Pochettino waves to the crowd during a match

Mauricio Pochettino was formally announced as the next head coach of the United States Men’s National Team on Tuesday, becoming the 40th manager in the program’s history.

READ: Mauricio Pochettino Named Head Coach of U.S. Men’s National Team

The 52-year-old Argentine now begins his next chapter with the USMNT after successful coaching spells in Spain, England, and France dating back to his managerial debut at RCD Espanyol in 2009.

Get familiar with Pochettino’s style and background with the five things to know below:

RAISING THE BAR

Pochettino has an established history of elevating the programs he has overseen, a trend that began with his first managerial opportunity at Espanyol. Pochettino took over in late January of 2009 with the Spanish club in 18th place in La Liga and firmly in the relegation zone. As the second half of the season unfolded, Pochettino was able to guide Espanyol to a 10th place finish in the La Liga table, in large part due to earning eight wins (and one draw) over the team’s final 10 games. He’d keep Espanyol in the middle of the table throughout his tenure at the Barcelona club, finishing as high as eighth in 2010-11.

Pochettino was then brought on at English Premier League Club Southampton in January of 2013, and in his one full season at the south England club delivered its best finish in a decade (eighth place) and what was at the time its highest-ever points total (56) since the Premier League began in 1992-93.

His success at Southampton earned Pochettino a move to London’s Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, where he began a five-year stint that would propel him into the international spotlight. He lifted them to a third-place finish in the league in 2014-15, the club’s best since ending the season in the same position in 1990. He took them step further the next year, finishing in second place in 2016-17 – a feat that the club had not accomplished since ending the 1963 Football League First Division season as runners up 54 years prior. He’d then lead Tottenham to its first UEFA Champions League Final appearance in 2019, where they ultimately fell 3-0 to EPL counterparts Liverpool.

After a year-and-a-half at Paris Saint-Germain, during which Pochettino earned his first domestic league title in 2022, he returned to England to take the reins at Chelsea in May of 2023. The London club had finished the prior season in its lowest position (12th) since 1994. In his lone season in charge, Pochettino led the club to the League Cup final and a sixth-place finish, qualifying them for a return to European competition.

Mauricio Pochettino high fives Cole Palmer during a Chelsea match

Pochettino during his stint at Chelsea

GLOBAL STAGE

Tuesday’s formal unveiling marks Pochettino’s first opportunity to manage at the international level after 15 years managing club teams.

Originally from Murray, Argentina, Pochettino becomes the first USMNT manager born in South America and the 22nd of the 40 USMNT coaches in program history to be born outside the United States. The last foreign-born manager to lead the USMNT was Jurgen Klinsmann, who was with the team from 2011-16.

Pochettino was no stranger to the international game as a player, having represented Argentina 20 times from 1999-2002. He earned his first call-up under countryman Marcelo Bielsa, whom he stills counts as a mentor and influence. Bielsa, a renowned international manager, additionally spent time leading Chile’s senior side as well as Uruguay’s, whom he led to a third-place finish at this Summer’s Copa America tournament.

Mauricio Pochettino and Kylian Mbappé on the sideline

Pochettino won a Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France while managing Paris Saint-Germain

CLUB CONNECTIONS

Pochettino steps into this new role already familiar with a few faces around the Federation.

Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who led the search for the new MNT head coach, previously worked with Pochettino at Southampton. The two crossed paths in 2013, when Crocker was in his final season serving as the club’s Academy Manager prior to joining the England Football Association. Pochettino was appointed manager of the Southampton first team in January of 2013.

In addition, Pochettino’s most recent managerial stint at Chelsea was undertaken alongside former Chelsea FC Women’s head coach and current U.S. Women’s National Team manager Emma Hayes. Hayes managed the Chelsea Women from 2012 until the end of the 2024 Women’s Super League season, before beginning the job with the USWNT in May. Pochettino served as the Chelsea men’s manager from May of 2023 through May of 2024.

On the player front, Pochettino managed three players currently in the MNT pool – defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and DeAndre Yedlin and goalkeeper Gaga Slonina. Carter-Vickers came up through the Tottenham Hotspur Academy and was brought into the first team by Pochettino during his time with the club as manager, ultimately receiving five appearances across all competitions. Yedlin was also Spurs-owned player from 2014-16 during Pochettino’s tenure. Slonina, who recently competed for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team in France, joined Chelsea on a transfer from Chicago Fire FC in spring of 2023, and worked briefly with Pochettino after his hiring before being loaned to K.A.S. Belgium last August.

GIVING OPPORTUNITY

Pochettino is renowned for his abilities as both a man manager and a developer of young players.

Across his time spent in La Liga, the EPL, and Ligue 1, Pochettino gave league debuts to 43 players aged 20 or younger, and gave 10 debuts in the UEFA Champions League to players 20 or younger. Several of those players have gone on to become regulars with their national teams, including England, Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

“The younger player needs faith in them and you need to translate the feeling that you believe in them,” Pochettino told The Guardian in 2015 (https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/nov/07/mauricio-pochettino-tottenham-youth). “The important thing is that they need to believe that you believe because, if not, it’s nothing. If they feel that you only want to add some names in your list, this is the worst thing you can show. When they feel that you believe, but really believe in them, it gives them extra. This is the moment they can play.

The USMNT was the second-youngest of the 32 teams to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and many players from that roster figure to remain key members of the squad as the U.S. looks ahead to hosting the World Cup in 2026.

Mauricio Pochettino defends Ashley Cole during a World Cup match

As a player, Pochettino recorded 20 caps for Argentina

AS A PLAYER

Prior to becoming a manager in 2009, Pochettino enjoyed a 17-year playing career that took him from his native Argentina and on to Spain and France.

He was offered his first professional contract at age 16 by Newell’s Old Boys of the Argentine top flight, and debuted as a 17-year-old in the 1988-89 Primera División season. He was a Primera División winner in 1991, a Clausura winner in 1992, and finished runner-up in the 1992 Copa Libertadores.

At 22, he moved to Barcelona to compete for Espanyol in La Liga, where he’d stay for the next seven years. While there, he helped the club win the 2000 Copa Del Rey for the first time in 60 years.

Pochettino was acquired by Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, and would spend the next three seasons in France, which included a year with Bordeaux in 2003-04. He returned to Espanyol in 2004, where he played two more seasons before retiring in 2006.

Internationally, Pochettino played for Argentina 20 times from 1999-2002, competing in both the 1999 Copa América and 2002 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He played once against the United States in a June 1999 friendly held at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The U.S. was victorious on the day, courtesy of an 88th minute finish from Joe-Max Moore on an assist from Earnie Stewart.

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW: MAURICIO POCHETTINO

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