The head coach of the United States men`s national soccer team, Mauricio Pochettino, has refuted claims from a report that he interviewed for the vacant managerial position at Premier League club Brentford. Fox Sports is cited as the source for the denial.
Pochettino addressed these reports on Saturday, which had originated from Ireland and suggested he was a candidate, just before the team`s Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Costa Rica. While Pochettino has a proven track record managing Premier League clubs like Southampton, Tottenham, and Chelsea, he is currently under contract with the USMNT until the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup. His appointment to lead the USMNT occurred in September 2024, following the departure of Gregg Berhalter.
According to the report, Pochettino explicitly stated, “This club never contacted me. I never talked to them.”
Although this doesn`t necessarily rule out the possibility that Pochettino was on Brentford`s list of potential candidates to replace Thomas Frank, his current contract status with the USMNT means any club would first need to engage with U.S. Soccer before contacting him directly. Being linked to another job during a tournament where he is focused on evaluating the squad`s depth ahead of the 2026 World Cup is seen as an unwelcome distraction, as the manager needs to be fully committed to the team and developing the player pool.
For the USMNT, despite results under Pochettino not meeting everyone`s expectations thus far, he is considered the team`s best prospect for success at the upcoming World Cup. Replacing the manager at this point would not leave sufficient time to implement a new system with the national team. Winning the Gold Cup, despite key players being absent from the squad, would significantly improve sentiment around the team, particularly as the home World Cup, arguably the most important in the national team`s history, is just 12 months away.
