Pochettino Cries Over USA Exit: “I’m a Very Emotional Guy”

• Mauricio Pochettino, 54, spoke through tears at his USA news conference hours after Manchester United named him Michael Carrick’s successor.
• United paid a release clause in the region of £7.4m to take him out of the four-year USA deal he signed in the summer, with a further payment for his backroom staff.
• He will lead the USA against Haiti on 14 and 18 November before he starts at Old Trafford, per BBC Sport.

Why Pochettino Could Not Say No to Manchester United

Mauricio Pochettino spoke through tears on Friday, hours after United announced him as the club’s new head coach. He was at his pre-match USA news conference and took a moment to compose himself.

“It’s difficult to talk now,” he said. “I’m a very emotional guy. It’s a very sad decision.”

He also said: “A decision that in some part is a very sad decision and in another part that we are professional and are trying to find the next step, try to make your dreams come true and I think the most important thing is what we leave here. The moment that we shared together, all the things that we accomplished and put in place and the standard that we increase in that foundation.”

Why He Signed a New Deal and Still Left

Pochettino extended his USA contract to 2030 after he built the USA into a contender and reached the last 16 of a home World Cup. He was asked why he signed it and then accepted United’s offer. “I never said I wanted to go back but they know there aren’t too many opportunities that happen in your career like Manchester United,” he said. “When it arrives, it’s difficult to turn down.”

The move came fast. “It all happened so quickly. By Sunday afternoon there was contact. You always were transparent and always tried to build something together. We learned a lot from you all, this amazing country and you amazing people. This is one of the most difficult decisions of my career. Thank you so much.”

He also described how he told the squad. “We were very transparent,” he said. “We were talking with the federation. Yesterday when things were positive in the way that the agreement was, we had a meeting and I communicated to the player and the whole staff.”

“The decision is between the federation and Manchester United that we continue with our job in the camp.”

“I think we will have time next week to talk about the job at Manchester United. Now I think it is better to talk about USA soccer and the national team. We have two games ahead and the focus is completely on this.”

He explained why he is staying for both Haiti games before he starts the job at Old Trafford, a deal that runs until the summer of 2029. “I am a professional person and the emotional link between us we have built in this two years is to show the commitment and respect and care and love,” Pochettino said.

“Even if we take a decision which is not the best for one part, we’ve always been open. We have the respect of the players and staff, they understand the situation.”

“Of course, if Manchester United and the federation agreed different terms, I would have respected between both. But this happened and of course, all the games are important.”

“The last four games were important. We gave debuts to 13 players, before the cup I thought everyone had different ideas about it but we believe in the programme and are brave enough to go ahead. We’re always optimistic and positive.”

“After this camp, with four victories, we’ve been consistent in the same way, win or lose. We believe in the programme. It’s an honour for us to be here, defend our patch and our players.”

“We need to play tomorrow and the next game. We’re not thinking in the future, it’s about performing. We’re very optimistic and it’s a natural way to finish our partnership.”

A Decade of Near Misses

United have courted him for a decade. He dined with Sir Alex Ferguson in Mayfair weeks before Louis van Gaal was sacked, yet the club chose Jose Mourinho. Solskjaer impressed in an interim role after Mourinho left in 2018 and was given the job permanently, Erik ten Hag beat him to it in 2022, and after Chelsea in 2024 Ruben Amorim got the nod.

The job opened up when United confirmed Carrick’s departure after sacking him on Thursday. The club had made their worst start to a domestic season in 40 years and sit 18th in the Premier League, with one win in 10 league games and one point above bottom club Sunderland.

Why the Tears Surprised People

Chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol said the scene was out of the ordinary. “We’ve always known Mauricio Pochettino is an emotional person. He wears his heart on his sleeve. But I don’t think you would normally expect a manager to break down and be so emotional in a press conference when he was leaving the USA to manage Manchester United.”

“But that just tells you about the kind of guy he is because he’s all about personal relationships. And obviously, he’s made some very good friends in the US.”

“He also said: ‘We recovered our motivation here’. He was quite hurt and bruised by what happened to him at PSG and at Chelsea. It’s almost like he’s rediscovered his motivation by working in the US. And now he’s ready to come back to the Premier League.”

What Comes Next

Pochettino will lead the USA against Haiti on 14 and 18 November. He then starts life at Carrington and will have three training sessions with the players before the trip to Liverpool on Sunday 22 November, kick-off 4.30pm. Newcastle away follows on Wednesday 2 December.