England could miss out on former Chelsea boss to USMNT

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 9 Aug 2024 10:07 BST
• 3 min read

Former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as one of the leading candidates to become the next USMNT coach.

According to The Athletic, the body is in talks with the Argentine over becoming their next man in the dugout.

Gregg Berhalter was fired in July after the USA failed to reach the Copa America knockout stages.

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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had been previously linked with the vacancy but he declined to take it up.

The sporting director of U.S. soccer Matt Crocker worked with Pochettino during his time as Southampton coach.

Pochettino led the Saints to eighth in the Premier League table before making the move to Tottenham, where he got them to the 2019 Champions League final.

He parted ways with Chelsea at the close of the last Premier League season while leading the side to an sixth-place finish. During his tenure as Paris Saint-Germain manager, he coached stars like Lionel Messi, now at Inter Miami, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.

While he secured the French league title, he was dismissed due to his inability to deliver a Champions League trophy.

The USA coaching vacancy holds particular appeal, as the United States will co-host the upcoming World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

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Though the former Tottenham manager has never led a national team, but he was strongly associated with the open England job.

Gareth Southgate stepped down after Euro 2024, following England's second consecutive loss in a Euros final over the summer, with the side losing to Spain in the final 2-1.

Pochettino's time at Chelsea

Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent after just one season in charge.

He led the side to the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals and secure European football with a sixth-place finish, a significant jump from, the previous campaign where they finished12th.

Pochettino said: "Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come."