Tearful Pochettino admits he 'couldn't say no to Man Utd'
An emotional Mauricio Pochettino said that leaving his role with the United States was the 'toughest decision of his career,' but admitted he couldn't turn down the chance to become head coach of Manchester United.
Mauricio Pochettino has said leaving the USMNT to join Man Utd was the 'toughest decision of his career'; Pochettino will begin in his new role after he has led the United States in their two games against Haiti; the former Spurs boss has agreed a deal at Old Trafford until 2029
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
An emotional Mauricio Pochettino said that leaving his role with the United States was the 'toughest decision of his career,' but admitted he couldn't turn down the chance to become head coach of Manchester United.
Pochettino has been appointed as Michael Carrick's replacement at Old Trafford having signed a deal until the summer of 2029. It comes mere months after extending his stay with the USMNT until the 2030 World Cup.
The Argentine will begin his new role on November 18, after taking charge of the USA's two fixtures against Haiti.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference before his penultimate game, Pochettino broke down in tears as he explained his decision.
"In some part, this is a very sad decision. In another part, we are professionals. This is the next step to try and make your dreams come true," the former Spurs and Chelsea boss said.
"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."
Pochettino last held a club role in Europe during his one-season stint at Chelsea, which came to an end in 2024. When asked why he had opted to leave his post to return to the Premier League, Pochettino didn't hide the fact that taking the Old Trafford hot seat was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"It's obvious," Pochettino added. "They (US Soccer Federation) know that not many opportunities can happen in your career like a side the size of Manchester United.
Pochettino will start life at Carrington following the international break, and will have three training sessions with the players before the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, live on Sky Sports .
The new head coach admitted that he would've started sooner if asked to, but explained why he wanted to see out the remainder of this camp.
"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 Man Utd 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."
Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest sports news, videos, features, analysis and much more
Sunday November 22: Liverpool (a) - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
Wednesday December 2: Newcastle (a) - kick-off 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports
