Mauricio Pochettino (52, Argentina), former manager of Chelsea FC in the English Premier League (EPL), will lead the US national soccer team to the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America (USA, Canada, Mexico). Manager Pochettino coached Son Heung-min (32) as the manager of EPL Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 to 2019.
The United States Soccer Federation announced on its website on the 11th that it had appointed Coach Pochettino as the head coach of the men’s national soccer team. The federation explained the background of the appointment, saying, “Coach Pochettino, a seasoned and respected veteran, has enjoyed success at top European clubs including Tottenham, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG, France).” “Coach Pochettino, who builds teams with a dynamic playing style, will lead the United States with his extensive experience and tactical insight.” Cindy Fallowcon, president of the United States Soccer Federation, also praised Pochettino, saying, “Coach Pochettino is a world-class coach who has achieved the highest level of success.”
With this, the U.S. national team will have a new head coach just two months after Gregg Berhalter was fired due to the team’s elimination in the group stage of the South American Football Championship (Copa America). The American sports media outlet ESPN reported on the same day, “Coach Pochettino will lead the U.S. national team for about two years until the end of the World Cup in North and Central America,” and “Coach Pochettino receives $6 million (about 8 billion won), which is less than what he received at Chelsea. It is the highest salary ever for a U.S. national soccer team coach.”
The fact that a coach from a club team with no experience in leading the national team was appointed with the highest salary in the history of the US national team is due to his performance in the club team. This is the first time that Pochettino has led the national team. Pochettino, a former Argentina national team defender, experienced the World Cup stage when he participated in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup as a player.
Coach Pochettino began his coaching career at Espanyol (Spain) in 2009, then moved to Southampton in the EPL before taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-min’s team, from 2014 to 2019, and led Tottenham to its first-ever UEFA Champions League final. He also took charge of PSG in the 2021-2022 season and led the team to victory in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France (FA Cup). Coach Pochettino said, “I could not miss the opportunity to lead a team with fans as passionate as the players. The energy and passion to achieve something historic inspired me.” “With players full of talent and potential, we will create special results at the World Cup that the entire nation can be proud of.”
Reporter Kim Jeong-hun [email protected]
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2024-09-13 01:48:40