Why Is Mauricio Pochettino Still USA's Manager As Manchester United's New Hire?

If someone had said that one of the big names on the U.S. men's national team would be joining Manchester United in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup, you would have thought a player. 

Instead, it will be Mauricio Pochettino. The 54-year-old Argentine was named Manchester United's new manager on Nov. 13, after having signed a contract extension with U.S. Soccer in August that would have run through the 2030 World Cup. 

But before he leaves for Old Trafford, Pochettino will lead the Americans for two final games, on Saturday and Tuesday vs. Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Pochettino's first game with the beleaguered Premier League powerhouse will be the Nov. 22 trip to rivals Liverpool. 

So how is Pochettino technically in charge of both the USMNT and Manchester United at the same time? It's more of a matter of timing. Man United is on break for the international window, when players return to their national teams for official FIFA matches, so Pochettino can finish out the Haiti series.

An immediate departure would have left the U.S. in the lurch, especially since Manchester United also hired his coaching staff.

"It all was so quick," an emotional Pochettino said Friday after he confirmed his exit. 

As part of the agreement with Manchester United, the club paid U.S. Soccer a reported $10 million to release Pochettino from his contract – along with an additional $2 million for the staff. 

"Those funds are used to help us hire great coaches," U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said Friday. "Our supporters, our sponsors, our donors, our fans are very supportive around making sure that we have the resources to achieve our goals, including having a world-class coach."

Two Jobs At Once: Does It Happen Often?

It's very rare for a coach to be in charge of two teams at once. When it happens, it's usually a club coach stepping in as an interim manager for a national team.

If you go way back in time, Alex Ferguson (before adding "Sir" to his name due to becoming a Manchester United legend) managed Aberdeen while also leading Scotland's national team at the 1986 World Cup. In 2009, Guus Hiddink was Russia’s manager while also serving as Chelsea’s interim boss. Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti was Mexico's caretaker on three occasions (1993, 2015, 2018) throughout his storied Liga MX managerial career. 

Perhaps the most infamous recent case of a coach being tied to both club and country occurred when Real Madrid announced Spain manager Julen Lopetegui as its next coach two days before the 2018 World Cup. The plan was for him to take over once the World Cup concluded. Instead, the Spanish soccer federation fired him on the eve of the tournament. Spain was knocked out in the round of 16 under interim Fernando Hierro, and Lopetegui lasted only a few months at Real Madrid.