Pochettino Breaks Silence on Premier League Return Rumors While Leading USMNT
No manager desires the spotlight to be on their personal situation when approaching crucial elimination matches. Nevertheless, this scenario was unavoidable for Mauricio Pochettino before the United States men's national soccer team's Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Costa Rica.
On Saturday morning, reports from Ireland indicated that Pochettino had conducted an interview for the Brentford coaching role, a position that has now been taken by the club's former set-piece specialist Keith Andrews. However, based on Pochettino's own statements and various sources, the Premier League organization never made contact, much less conducted any interview process.
"That club never made contact with me," Pochettino stated to Fox Sports. "I had no discussions with them whatsoever."
Having previously managed Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol, Pochettino joined the USMNT in September 2024 with the objective of guiding the squad through the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Although he might have realistically been considered for the Brentford position as they sought to replace the role vacated by Thomas Frank's move to Tottenham, the Premier League team would have been required to communicate through U.S. Soccer if they wished to explore his availability.
Challenging Beginning Despite Gold Cup Performance
Although Pochettino's USMNT has performed well in the Gold Cup with group stage victories over Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and Saudi Arabia, the journey hasn't been entirely seamless for the Argentine manager since his appointment.
Prior to the tournament, he became the first USMNT coach since 2007 to experience four consecutive defeats, following underwhelming displays against Panama, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey.
Furthermore, there has been the matter concerning Christian Pulisic and other key players who are absent from the American Gold Cup roster. For Pulisic, the choice was made to provide rest following an extensive campaign with AC Milan. Nevertheless, in a CBS Sports interview, he mentioned his desire to participate in the pre-Gold Cup friendlies against UEFA nations, but Pochettino rejected his appeal.
"Upon signing my agreement with the federation, I serve as the head coach. I am not a figurehead," Pochettino responded firmly. "Players must listen and follow our strategy. They cannot control the plan."
With an 8–3 record leading the USMNT, Pochettino aims to guide the team beyond Costa Rica on Sunday and into a semifinal, where they would meet either Canada or Guatemala for a place in the Gold Cup final on July 6 in Houston.