U.S. Soccer, Chelsea close to deal for Mauricio Pochettino to coach USMNT
Mauricio Pochettino could be officially announced as the new coach of the United States men’s national team as soon as Tuesday or as late as next week, a source with knowledge of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s plans told FOX Sports.
The Athletic reported on Sunday that the USSF was "hoping to conclude the deal in the next 48 hours."
[Related: Why Mauricio Pochettino's résumé is better than any USMNT coach ever]
No contract had been signed as of Monday morning, and though multiple sources said that an agreement was close to being formalized, the final details are still being worked through.
U.S. Soccer’s full board of directors is scheduled to meet on Friday in Atlanta. If the outline of Pochettino’s contract has been agreed to by then, the board could ratify the pact at that meeting. That step could also come either before or after it, depending on how quickly negotiations progress.
The biggest remaining hurdle left to navigate is Pochettino’s severance arrangement from Chelsea, which parted ways with the 52-year-old Argentine at the end of the 2023-24 English Premier League season. Pochettino had a guaranteed two-year contract with the Blues, so it’s in Chelsea’s financial interests to help facilitate a deal with U.S. Soccer that would leave them off the hook for at least a portion of the millions of British pounds he is still owed between now and June.
U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson and the federation’s legal team are working with Chelsea and Pochettino to reach a swift resolution. If that happens, and Pochettino’s hiring can be announced this week, the coach would likely be presented to national media in New York City during the week of Aug. 25. It's also possible that Pochettino would be in Kansas City for the USMNT’s next match, a Sept. 7 friendly against Canada.
Multiple reports indicated that U.S. under-20 men’s coach Mikey Varas will lead the senior team in that game, even if Pochettino is in place by then. But multiple sources told FOX Sports that it remains possible that Pochettino could be on the sideline for the Canada exhibition and another against New Zealand a few days later in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Varas has already selected the provisional roster sent to clubs to inform them that their players are being considered for September’s international window.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A former staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports, he has covered U.S. men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
