What needs to happen to make Pochettino officially head coach of the US national team?

Mauricio Pochettino is set to become the next coach of the United States men’s national team, but his appointment is not an easy one.

Although the Argentine has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in May, there are still further hurdles to overcome before he can be officially confirmed in his new role.

Where is the delay and how quickly can the problems be resolved?

The Athletics spoke to several sources familiar with the situation. They all wished to remain anonymous to protect their positions and because of the sensitivities surrounding the negotiations. In an effort to answer those questions, they wanted to protect their positions.

What has happened so far?

US Soccer has been searching for a new head coach for the men’s national team since Gregg Berhalter was fired on July 10 after a disappointing performance in the Copa America.

A day later, The Athletics reported that US Soccer (USSF) had approached former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to gauge his interest in taking over the club. However, the German politely declined the opportunity, saying he wanted to take a break from football.

Pochettino subsequently emerged as the governing body’s preferred candidate and on Thursday The Athletics revealed that he had agreed to the role of head coach. Neither Pochettino nor the USSF have said anything publicly about the matter since the story broke.

Then why wasn’t the contract signed?

The terms of Chelsea’s severance agreement with Pochettino complicate matters a little.

Pochettino left Chelsea at the start of his contract, which was originally due to last two years with an option for a third year.

He has verbally agreed to take the USMNT job. Pochettino is free to do so — there is nothing in his Chelsea contract that prevents him from doing so and club sources say no money is owed if he accepts another position.

Pochettino left Chelsea with a year left on his contract (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

With salaries at national teams typically being lower than club equivalents, Chelsea are actively discussing possible solutions with Pochettino, such as third-party sponsorship and other ways to make the situation financially viable for the Argentine.

His Chelsea contract only carries a six-month ban from the top six Premier League clubs. Chelsea have a strong relationship with Pochettino — their technical director Laurence Stewart even sent the USSF a glowing reference for him — and have continued dialogue with him to enable him to pursue the USMNT opportunity.

Do we know what the USSF will pay Pochettino?

Pochettino’s proposed salary at US Soccer is not yet known and – as noted above – exactly how it will be paid by a former Premier League manager who worked for some of Europe’s biggest clubs is a major question.

Pochettino may have had a disappointing season last year, even though Chelsea bounced back from a poor start to finish sixth and qualify for the Europa Conference League, but he is still one of the most respected coaches in the game.

His CV includes spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, and he has also been regularly linked with managerial roles at Manchester United and key roles in Spain.

Bringing in a coach of his caliber won’t be cheap, and his terms would certainly trump those offered to Berhalter, who coached in Major League Soccer before first taking the job with the USMNT.

According to the USSF’s tax return, which reported by APIn 2022, Berhalter had a base salary of $1,391,136 and earned $900,000 in bonuses. For comparison, when Emma Hayes took over as head coach of the women’s national team in November 2023, The Athletics reported that she would earn almost $2 million a year.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said after Berhalter’s firing that his search for a replacement would not be limited by finances. “I just want the best coach possible who can help the team win,” he said. “Whether they’re from the U.S. or somewhere else. Progress has been made, but now it’s time to turn that progress into winning.”

How could the USSF find the money?

The USSF will understand that hiring a head coach of Pochettino’s stature, especially ahead of a home World Cup, will require a larger budget than they would normally consider. But it is also true that they will not be able to pay the kind of salary that a top-six Premier League club could command and that they may have to get creative to cover the costs of hiring Pochettino.

When Canada hired Jesse Marsch as its new head coach for the men’s national team in May, the deal was only made possible thanks to significant financial contributions from the country’s three Major League Soccer clubs: CF Montreal, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. The total amount donated to Canada Soccer was approximately $1.5 million. That meant that Marsch’s official title became “MLS Canada Men’s National Team Head Coach.”

Marsch’s Canada salary includes help from MLS teams (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

According to conversations The Athletics has had with American MLS club owners, there is currently no interest in a similar arrangement with Pochettino and the USMNT.

An alternative route would be to bridge the gap through sponsors. There is precedent for this too: when Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, the transfer was facilitated by offering the player a revenue share with some of MLS’s major partners, including Apple, Adidas and apparel company Fanatics.

By exploring more of these types of options, taking advantage of the international profile of their future head coach, it seems more likely that the USSF can afford Pochettino.

Chelsea, who currently do not have a shirt sponsor for the new Premier League season, are trying to facilitate this.

Will this be resolved and if so, when?

It is expected that an agreement will be reached between all parties, as this is in everyone’s interest.

One possible outcome is that Chelsea will pay the difference between what the USSF offers Pochettino and what the club would have to pay him if he didn’t work. In that scenario — which is not uncommon in football — Chelsea would not have to pay the maximum amount they are liable for under the current severance agreement with Pochettino, but he would still receive the full amount he is entitled to.

The USSF hopes to close the deal within the next 48 hours, though that decision will have to be ratified at a board meeting, but that will likely be a formality.

The U.S. national team’s next matches are friendlies against Canada and New Zealand on September 7 and 10, respectively.

(Top photos: Getty Images)