“I’m a Very Emotional Guy” — Pochettino Breaks Down in Tears Over ‘Most Difficult’ Decision to Dump USA for Manchester United

Abdulhameed Sherif · Sports · Nov 13, 2026

Mauricio Pochettino was supposed to be building something in America. He had signed a four-year extension just months ago, led the USMNT to a historic World Cup on home soil, and spoken passionately about the project.

The news conference was always going to be emotional. Pochettino is famously tearful, and nobody in attendance had to wait long. According to The Guardian, the waterworks came during his introductory remarks, as he thanked the US Soccer executives flanking him for the opportunity to guide the national team. He grew emotional again when addressing his impending departure, pausing to compose himself before saying: “I think [the decision was] one of the most difficult decisions of our careers. Thank you guys. Thank you so much”.

“It’s difficult to talk now,” Pochettino said, his voice cracking. “I’m a very emotional guy. It’s a very sad decision. But we are professionals and we are trying to make our dreams come true”. He even managed a wry joke about the unusual circumstances of his exit: “Normally it’s the opposite. You’re sacked and you cry because you want to stay. For this case it’s the opposite. It’s a really tough decision, but at the same time I’m excited for that step”.

The question everyone wanted answered was obvious: why sign a new four-year deal with the USA in the summer, only to leave months later? Pochettino did not hide the truth. “They know there aren’t too many opportunities that happen in your career like Manchester United,” he said. “When it arrives, it’s difficult to turn down”. He described the move as “the next step to try and make your dreams come true,” adding that the chance to manage at Old Trafford was simply too significant to reject.

The numbers behind the move are stark. Manchester United paid a release clause in the region of £7.4 million to extract Pochettino from his US contract, with a further payment for his backroom staff. He has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal until June 2029. But he will not start immediately. In a show of commitment that softened the blow of his departure, Pochettino insisted on seeing out the USA’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-final matches against Haiti on November 14 and 18 before formally taking charge at Old Trafford. “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,” he explained.

His first game in charge of United will be an away trip to Liverpool on November 22—a baptism of fire if ever there was one. He will inherit a side that has won just once in 10 league matches, sits 18th in the Premier League, and is reeling from the sacking of Michael Carrick after the club’s worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years. Pochettino admitted he would have started sooner if asked, but he has just three training sessions with his new players before the trip to Anfield.

For the USA, the farewell is bittersweet. Pochettino took over in September 2024 at what ESPN described as “unquestionably a low ebb,” following a Copa América group-stage exit on home soil. Over 26 months, he compiled a record of 21 wins, 12 losses, and 2 draws across 35 matches. He repaired the team’s culture, introduced a high-pressing system built around Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Malik Tillman, and led the USMNT to new heights at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the program’s all-time winningest World Cup coach with three victories—as many as the team had secured in the previous four World Cups combined. Yet the sense of a “mercenary feel” lingered, and the millions spent on his salary and staff produced the same World Cup finish as 2010, 2014, and 2022.

For Manchester United, Pochettino’s arrival ends a decade-long courtship. The club first considered him in 2016, dined with Sir Alex Ferguson, and interviewed him in 2022, 2024, and now 2026—only to be overlooked each time. This time, they got their man. He walks into a relegation battle, a toxic atmosphere, and a squad low on confidence. But he also walks into the job he has apparently wanted for years. As he dabbed at his tears on Friday, one thing was clear: leaving America hurt. But the chance to save Manchester United was worth the pain.