LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday that leaving his role as US boss to take charge of Manchester United was ‘one of the most difficult’ decisions of his career as he prepares for one of football’s toughest jobs.
The 54-year-old Argentine fought back tears as he bade an emotional farewell to US football, hours after the Premier League giants announced he would replace the sacked Michael Carrick.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris SaintGermain and Chelsea boss will take up his new position on Nov 18, with a monumental task ahead of him.
United have made their worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years and are languishing in the Premier League relegation zone during the current international break.
Pochettino is understood to have signed a twoand-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford, taking him throughtotheendofthe 2028/29season.
‘We learned a lot from you all, from this amazing country,’ Pochettino told a media conference in Fayetteville, Georgia. ‘I think this was one of the most difficult decisions of [my] career.’ Pochettino, who led the US to the last 16 at this year’s World Cup, will oversee back-to-back CONCACAF Nations League matches against Haiti on Saturday and next Tuesday before leaving for England.
He said he had not considered a possible return to the Premier League when he signed a contract extension with US Soccer in August, but added the opportunity to join United was too good to turn down.
‘I never said I wanted to go back in the Premier League,’ he said. ‘Not too many opportunities can happen in your career with a side like Manchester United. That is difficult to turn down when it arrives.
US Soccer CEO and secretary general JT Batson said Pochettino had left a lasting legacy through his ‘leadership, professionalism and commitment to our players and culture’.
The federation is reportedly set to receive around $10 million in compensation, plus more to cover the departure of Pochettino’s coaching staff.
United said in a statement that Pochettino was ‘renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players’.
The 20-time English champions are one of the giants of world football but have largely been alsorans since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Pochettino is the eighth permanent manager tasked with returning the Red Devils to former glories.
He started his Premier League managerial career with Southampton before joining Tottenham, where he never finished lower than fifth during his five full seasons in charge and also reached the 2019 Champions League final.
The former Argentina defender, who has been linked with the United job on several previous occasions, faces a baptism of fire at the home of fierce rivals Liverpool on Nov 22.
Carrick issued an emotional statement Friday wishing United ‘nothing but success’, adding that his love for the club ‘never dies’.-AFP