Chelsea deal complicates Pochettino switch to USMNT

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 18 Aug 2024 19:27 BST
• 4 min read

Mauricio Pochettino appears poised to become the next head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team, but it’s not been a straightforward appointment.

The Argentine has been heavily linked with the role over the past few weeks, after he departed Chelsea in May.

After landing a sixth-place finish with Chelsea , he mutually parted ways with the Stamford Bridge outfit, despite only being there for a year.

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But, The Athletic report that several issues need to be resolved before his new role with the USA can be officially confirmed, in particular regrading his Chelsea contract.

He left the club after just one year of a two-year contract, which included an option for a third year. Even though Pochettino has verbally agreed to take on the USMNT role, the financial aspects of his departure have complicated matters.

Chelsea and Pochettino are exploring third-party sponsorships and other financial arrangements to make the move viable for them both, it is thought.

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The crux is that national team salaries are generally lower than those at top-level clubs.

Additionally, Chelsea’s contract only restricts Pochettino from taking a job with one of the top-six Premier League clubs for six months. The club remains on good terms with Pochettino, and their technical director, Laurence Stewart, even strongly recommended the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) on his behalf.

Ongoing discussions between Chelsea and Pochettino aim to smooth the way for his transition to the USMNT.

It comes after Moises Caicedo criticised Pochettino. He seemingly suggested the Argentine is responsible for his struggles upon signing for Chelsea last summer, speaking in an interview from July.

The 22-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion for a whopping €116 million and he found it difficult to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge during his first few months.

What has Moises Caicedo said about Mauricio Pochettino?

The Ecuador midfielder told Radio La Red (via The Daily Mail): “At Brighton, it was all tactical, just with the ball; tactical, tactical, tactical. And at Chelsea, it was run, run, run and it was very difficult for me.

“With Chelsea, I always ran a bit more and with Brighton we almost always had the ball, with Chelsea it was a different football and we had to run more.”

Caicedo shone under the management of Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton, while he evidently believes his patchy early form at Chelsea was due to Pochettino’s preferred style.