Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT Contract Revelation Will Only Add to Growing Backlash

The growing accusation that Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t ever truly committed to the U.S. men’s national team will only be strengthened by the manager’s self-confessed revelation that he rejected the federation’s proposal of a club-specific release clause, insisting instead that he should be available to any and every suitor.

Pochettino’s impending American exit has inspired a divisive reaction.

Many casual onlookers were initially disheartened to lose the charismatic leader, especially when faced with the uncertainty of who could step into the void. The Argentine demonstrated his own internal conflict when he tearfully described his move to Manchester United as “the most difficult decision” of his career.

However, there has been a subsequent groundswell of opinion questioning Pochettino’s record with the USMNT and his commitment to the program. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss never made any secret of his desire to return to the Premier League and even engaged in discussions with Italian side AC Milan on the eve of the World Cup.

Pochettino would stick around for a run to the round of 16—pretty much par for a nation ranked 17th heading into the tournament—before leaving his new contract unsigned for weeks. A little over three months into a four-year agreement, the 54-year-old has admitted he simply couldn’t turn down United’s offer.

The nature of Pochettino’s extraction from U.S. Soccer was made all the easier by a release clause worth in the region of $10 million.

“The clause is a clause that was good for both parties, no?” the manager argued during a sit down with Fútbol de Primera, tears dried and a smile back on his face.

It’s common practice for buyout clauses—be that for players or managers—to be specifically tied to a pre-agreed list of clubs. Yet, Pochettino was unwilling to limit his pool of suitors, even if Manchester United had always been the team he was pining after.

“I’ll reveal something to you, the federation did want to include some clubs. But I said, ‘No.’ Because you never, ever know.”

“If they had forced me to put down the name of a club, Manchester United would have been there,” Pochettino added.

If there was any frustration from U.S. Soccer about the circumstances behind Pochettino’s departure, they’ve done well to conceal it. The outgoing coach was flanked by U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson and federation president Cindy Parlow Cone at his tearful farewell on Friday in a show of support and appreciation for his efforts.

Pochettino argued that all was well with his exit: “The truth is that at all times, we were clear: When Manchester United appeared and contacted our representatives, we were always clear from the first moment. Everything was good, the federation understood it, too. I think things were done as they had to be done.”

To explain why he needed a break clause, Pochettino pointed to the possibility of “if the federation changes leadership, changes the people, new directors come in or a new sporting director might arrive.”

“It was always about having the options so that this commitment wouldn’t be a very heavy burden for the federation in case whatever happens breaks that relationship,” he explained. “And in case our dream, right? In case a club that one always dreamed of coaching appears, there could be the possibility of having a possible negotiation in all of this and that it wouldn’t be an ugly way to end things.

The three-time MLS Cup champion Alejandro Moreno had little sympathy for his fellow South American. “He’s flirting with anything that moves!” the ESPN FC analyst scoffed this week. “He was flirting with anything that moved even before the World Cup. So you knew full well that come whatever opportunity may come around, he was one foot out the door already.

“So why, if you’re the U.S. Soccer Federation, put yourself in a position in which you’re like the ugly duckling that you should be so happy and so lucky that Mauricio Pochettino wants to take on you as a project? No, no. If you’re a federation, you give yourself the place that you deserve, and you give your team the credit that it deserves.”

“This is not charity work,” Moreno pointed out. You’re getting paid good money. Really good money. So please, either you stay here with your heart and soul, knee-deep, elbow-deep, culture-deep in this United States men’s national team project or get!”