Mauricio Pochettino is expected to become the next head coach of the U.S. men's national team, but the appointment won't be an easy one.
The Argentine has been without a job since leaving Chelsea in May but still has hurdles to overcome before he is permanently appointed in his new role.
So what's the delay, and how quickly can the problem be resolved?
Athletic He spoke to several sources with knowledge of the situation, all of whom requested anonymity to answer these questions to protect their own positions and because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
What has happened so far?
The U.S. Soccer Association has been searching for a new men's national team coach since coach Gregg Berhalter was fired July 10 following a disappointing performance in the Copa America.
the next day, Athletic It has been reported that the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) approached former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to ask if he would like to take the role, but he politely declined, stating that he wanted to move away from football.
Pochettino then emerged as the governing body's recommended candidate on Thursday. Athletic Pochettino said he had agreed to the role, but neither he nor the USSF have said anything publicly about the matter since the news broke.
So why not sign the contract?
The terms of Pochettino's contract with Chelsea are where things get a little more complicated.
Pochettino left Chelsea after a year on his initial two-year contract, with an option for a third.
He has a verbal commitment to take on the US men's national team role. Pochettino is free to do so – there is nothing in his Chelsea contract to prevent him from doing so, and club sources stress there would be no payment if he were to take another role.
Pochettino left Chelsea with one year left on his contract (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
National team roles tend to be lower paying than club roles, so Chelsea are in active discussions with Pochettino about solutions that could include third-party sponsorship or other ways to help make the situation financially viable for the Argentine.
His Chelsea contract only prohibits him from playing for the Premier League's top six clubs for six months. Chelsea maintain a strong relationship with Pochettino – technical director Laurence Stewart even sent the USSF a highly-praised letter of recommendation – and are in ongoing dialogue with him to capitalise on the USMNT opportunity.
Do you know how much the USSF will pay Pochettino?
It is not yet clear what salary Pochettino will propose to the US Soccer Association, and as mentioned above, a key question is how much to pay a former Premier League manager with experience working for some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Pochettino may have had a disappointing season last year – Chelsea recovered from a poor start to finish sixth and qualify for the Europa Conference League – but he remains one of the most highly-regarded managers in world football.
His CV includes spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain and he has frequently been linked with managerial roles at Manchester United and in Spain.
A coach of his caliber won't be cheap, and his terms will certainly exceed those offered to Berhalter, who coached in Major League Soccer before taking on his first role as U.S. men's national team manager.
According to USSF tax returns reported by The Associated Press, Berhalter's base salary for 2022 was $1,391,136, with a bonus of $900,000. By comparison, Emma Hayes' salary will be $1,391,136 when she takes the women's national team head coaching position in November 2023. Athletic She reported that she would earn nearly $2 million a year.
U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said after Berhalter's firing that the search for a replacement would not be constrained by financial constraints. “I just want to get the best coach that can help our team win,” he said. “It doesn't matter if it's from the U.S. or another country. Progress has been made, and now it's time to translate that progress into winning.”
How did the USSF get the funding?
The USSF will know that hiring a head coach of Pochettino's stature, especially with a World Cup coming up in the country, requires a bigger budget than would normally be expected, but they also cannot afford the wages that the top six Premier League clubs can offer and may have to get creative to cover the costs of Pochettino's employment.
When Canada hired Jesse Marsh as their new men's national team coach in May, the deal was made possible only with significant financial backing from Canada's three Major League Soccer clubs, CF Montreal, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps, who donated roughly $1.5 million to the Canadian Soccer Association. This meant that Marsh's official title was now “Canada Men's National Team Coach, MLS.”
Marsh's Canadian salary will include contributions from the MLS team. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the conversation Athletic As with the deals he has struck with American MLS club owners, there is currently no appetite for a similar deal between Pochettino and the USMNT.
The alternative is to make up the shortfall through sponsorship, which has precedent: When Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, the move was prompted by revenue-sharing offers from several of MLS' major partners, including Apple, Adidas and clothing company Fanatics.
Exploring such possibilities further, while leveraging the global recognition of a future head coach, seems like a more realistic way to improve the USSF's chances of hiring Pochettino.
Chelsea are currently without a front-of-shirt sponsor ahead of the new Premier League season but are looking to promote this.
Will this be resolved, and if so, when?
It is in everyone's interest to reach an agreement between all parties, so it is hoped that an agreement will be reached.
One possible outcome would be for Chelsea to pay the difference between what the USSF is offering Pochettino and what the club would have to pay if Pochettino were to take time off work. In this scenario, which is not uncommon in football, Chelsea would not have to pay the maximum amount owed under Pochettino's current departure agreement, but Pochettino would receive the full amount owed.
The USSF hopes to close the deal within the next 48 hours, but the decision would need to be approved by its board of directors, but it's likely to remain a mere formality.
The USMNT's next matches are friendlies against Canada and New Zealand on Sept. 7 and 10, respectively.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
