On August 19, Mauricio Pochettino is set to take the helm of the United States national team, with The Athletic detailing the intricacies of the deal.
Following the dismissal of former head coach Gregg Berhalter on July 10, the US national team has been on the lookout for a new manager. The US Soccer Federation had previously contacted Jürgen Klopp, but he declined their offer, leading to Pochettino becoming the top candidate for the position.
According to The Athletic, Pochettino has agreed to take the position as US national team manager, although both he and the USSF have yet to officially announce it.
Pochettino signed a 2+1 contract (2 years, with a one-year extension option) with Chelsea, but after a year he departed. If he takes on the US national team job, Chelsea has no power to prevent him. His contract with Chelsea stipulated that he would be prohibited from managing another top-six English Premier League club for six months after his departure, but there are no other restrictions.
Pochettino’s salary for managing the US team has become a point of discussion. His predecessor, Berhalter, earned a salary of $1.3 million per year, plus $900,000 in bonuses. Vlatko Andonovski, who managed the US women’s national team, earned nearly $2 million annually.
The USSF’s financial offer is bound to be less than what a Premier League powerhouse can provide. There appear to be three potential solutions: First, a Major League Soccer team could donate a sum to the USSF for Pochettino’s salary, but there are currently no MLS teams interested in such an arrangement. Secondly, following the model of Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami CF, the income could be supplemented through commercial sponsorship contracts, which seems the most feasible option.
A third possibility involves Chelsea covering the salary difference between Pochettino’s unemployment wages and his USSF pay. This would also save Chelsea some money, making it an acceptable proposal.
The USSF hopes to reach a coaching agreement with Pochettino within the next 48 hours.
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