Globe-trotter Pochettino appointed new USA coach

Argentine Mauricio Pochettino has been named as the new head coach of the United States national team, the US Soccer federation announced on Wednesday.The former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Espanyol coach replaces American Gregg Berhalter who was fired in July after a disappointing Copa America campaign.Pochettino is the biggest name coach to take charge of the USA and the first foreigner since German Juergen Klinsmann, who was sacked in 2016.Pochettino, 52, has been unemployed since his abrupt departure in May from Chelsea after just a single season in charge.No detail of the contract length was provided by US Soccer but Pochettino will lead the team in the 2026 World Cup which the USA is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada."Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” said Matt Crocker, US Soccer’s sporting director who led the search for a new coach."His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad,” he added.Pochettino has a track record of promoting young talent at Southampton, Tottenham and Spanish side Espanyol earlier in his managerial career.At Tottenham, Pochettino played a key role in shaping the career of England captain Harry Kane and he turned Spurs into regular top-four finishers while also guiding them to the Champions League final in 2019.The Argentine, who coached stars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in Paris, said he was relishing the chance to progress the US team."The decision to join US Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino said."The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here - those are the things that inspired me. The opportunity to lead the US men’s national team, in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players, is something I couldn’t pass up."I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of,” he added.Pochettino inherits a relatively young team which reached the last-16 at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, losing to the Netherlands in the knockout phase. But hopes that a young squad could progress towards 2026 were damaged by a poor Copa America campaign in July, when the team failed to advance out of the group stage finishing with just one win from three games after losses to Panama and Uruguay.Berhalter, who had been heavily criticised by fans and pundits, was dismissed and the federation took their time in the search for his replacement. US Soccer chief executive JT Batson said he was convinced that Pochettino was the right coach to get the best out of a team which is led by AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic."His deep knowledge of the game, his commitment to developing talent, and his relentless drive for excellence are exactly what we need as we prepare for the 2026 World Cup,” he said.The financial package to bring in Pochettino, involved negotiations with his former club Chelsea and included help from donations from the business world."Pochettino’s appointment is supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift from Kenneth C Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel and Founder of Griffin Catalyst. Additional support has been provided by Scott Goodwin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Diameter, and several commercial partners,” US Soccer said in their statement.The appointment is the second made by Crocker, a Welshman who previously worked with Pochettino at Southampton.Crocker brought in another former Chelsea coach, Emma Hayes to lead the women’s team who she took to an Olympic gold in the Paris Games last month.