Mauricio Pochettino was in tears as he said “goodbye” to the U.S. national team!
The Argentine coach is leaving the U.S. team to take over as Carrick’s replacement as head coach of Manchester United, and during his final press conference as U.S. coach, he was unable to hold back his tears and spoke of the most difficult decision of his career.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“It’s hard for me to speak right now. I’m someone who gets emotional easily. It’s a very painful decision—the hardest decision of my career. But we’re professionals, and we try to make our dreams come true.
Everything happened very quickly. On Sunday afternoon, discussions began. We were completely transparent (with the U.S. Soccer Federation). “We’ll have time next week to talk about the position at Manchester United. It’s much better right now to talk about the U.S. Soccer Federation,” the Argentine coach said, among other things, before going on to discuss the… legacy he is leaving with the U.S. national team.
“I’m not arrogant. I’m a little arrogant, but not excessively so. We don’t take on a project with the goal of being remembered forever or having a photo of us here at the national training center. We do it for the impact it has on people and to be a good partner. Through the federation’s vision, we want to offer our expertise and knowledge of the sport, and become part of the family. I hope the same will happen at Manchester United. That’s what we can offer: our expertise in soccer.”
Outgoing USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, visibly emotional as he addresses his departure publicly for the first time here at US Soccer HQ outside Atlanta. More to come in a bit. https://t.co/rc0BRMkwJq
— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) November 13, 2026
*photo source: AP
