Mauricio Pochettino gets emotional, shares his first message with Man Utd players after being named their new manager.
Mauricio Pochettino has called his choice to leave as the manager of the United States men’s national team to join Manchester United “one of the toughest” decisions he’s ever made.
He’ll take over as United’s head coach on November 18, stepping in after Michael Carrick, with the club officially announcing his appointment on Friday.
Before that, Pochettino will lead the USMNT in their two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals against Haiti this weekend and next week. On Friday morning, he held a press conference alongside US Soccer CEO JT Batson and president Cindy Parlow Cone.
In his opening talk, Pochettino said that coaching the USMNT helped “recover our motivation” after he left Chelsea in 2024. He included his coaching staff in this, too. Toward the end, he got emotional reflecting on his time with the team but also shared a message about what he expects from the players at Manchester United.
“In some ways, it’s a really sad decision,” he said. “But at the same time, we have to be professional and take the next step to follow our dreams. What matters most is everything we built here – the moments we shared, what we achieved, the standards we raised for the federation and the country.
“I speak from the heart. Thank you to US Soccer for helping us find our passion again. We’ve enjoyed every moment and learned so much about this amazing country and its people. Leaving was one of the hardest choices in my career.”
After saying this, Pochettino paused, clearly emotional, before the questions moved on.
He didn’t talk about Manchester United much at the start of the press conference, saying he wants to stay fully focused on the USMNT until he leaves. But he did admit he’s “excited for the next step.”
“When moments like this come, they’re never easy,” he said. “Usually, it’s the other way – you get sacked and you wish to stay. This time it’s hard to leave, but we’re looking forward to what’s ahead. For now, though, we have to be fully committed because we care deeply about this federation and the players. We need to focus on the next two games, which are really important.”
He praised the players, saying they’re amazing and know how to handle tough situations. “It’s never ideal when something like this happens, but life—and football—moves fast. We need to move forward and keep the great memories we’ve made. I think we did a fantastic job, and people in football will understand this situation.”
On how things moved so quickly leading to his new job, Pochettino explained: “It all happened very fast. We only arrived here last Friday, and by Sunday I was hearing about this possibility. We were very open about it with the federation from the start.
“Yesterday, after reaching an agreement, I spoke with the players and staff. I want to thank them – they’ve been very supportive and understand what’s happening. US Soccer and Manchester United agreed I will continue my work here during this camp. That won’t change our commitment to the next two games, which are very important.”
He finished by saying, “We’ll have time next week to talk about Manchester United, but right now, our full focus is on these two games.”