Exclusive: A select group of US Soccer Federation executives are flying to Barcelona on Friday to finalize the deal to sign Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach of the US Men’s National Team (USMNT), sources revealed to World Soccer Talk.
Sources added that the plan is for US Soccer to complete the contract signatures plus to film Pochettino in Barcelona for a short video that will be released in conjunction with the official announcement. US Soccer hopes to make the official announcement on Friday or shortly thereafter.
If the agreements can be finalized on Friday, Pochettino plans to make an appearance at Tuesday’s USA vs New Zealand friendly in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It was at a club from Barcelona that Pochettino was first introduced to European soccer. He spent seven years at Espanyol before joining PSG in 2001. After a brief spell at Bordeaux, he returned to the club to see out his playing career.
Espanyol also gave him his first head coach role in 2009. He stayed at the job for four years before Southampton allowed him to coach in the English Premier League.
If and when the deal is finalized, it’ll be one of the biggest signings by US Soccer. The news about the United States’ interest in Pochettino first broke on August 15. Since then, talks have progressed at a steady pace, while soccer fans in the United States have been anxious about getting the deal announced as soon as possible.
USMNT interim head coach Mikey Varas will lead the transition period as he’ll be at the helm for the next two friendlies. USMNT faces Canada on Saturday followed by New Zealand at home on Tuesday.
Including his time with the Under-20 men’s national team, Varas has been working in youth soccer since 2016. He worked as Gregg Berhalter’s assistant for the underfire coach’s last 14 games.
Despite a slow start to his time at Chelsea, Pochettino managed to secure a European spot for Chelsea in the form of the Europa Conference League. He previously reached a Champions League final with Tottenham Hotspur. This will be a post at international soccer for the 52-year-old.
We’ll not have to wait long for Pochettino’s first appearance in USMNT’s dugout. The US will have two more friendlies against Panama and Mexico in the space of three days in mid-October. A shock defeat against Panama catalyzed the group stage exit in Copa America. The game at Guadalajara will also be a tense affair because of the soccer rivalry with Mexico.
Photo: PA/Images
