Pochettino Takes Over as Manchester United Manager

Mauricio Pochettino takes over as the new manager of Manchester United on November 18, stepping in to lift the club out of the Premier League relegation zone after the departure of Michael Carrick, NOS Voetbal reported.

The 54-year-old Argentinian manager joins the twentieth-century English powerhouse while the team sits eighteenth in the league standings with eight points from ten matches. NOS Voetbal said that Manchester United paid an indemnification fee to buy out his contract with the United States national team, which ran through 2030.

Before taking charge at the club’s training ground in Carrington, Pochettino will coach the United States in two Concacaf Nations League matches against Haiti on November 14 and November 17, NOS Voetbal reported. De Telegraaf added that an agreement was struck allowing him to complete those fixtures before traveling to England later in the week.

Pochettino previously managed Southampton from 2013 to 2014, Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 to 2019, and Chelsea during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, according to De Telegraaf. His highest Premier League finish was second place with Tottenham in the 2016/2017 season, alongside winning the Ligue 1 title and the French Cup with Paris Saint-Germain.

Voetbal International reported that United's managerial change costs the club heavily; the buyout of the American federation contract cost roughly eight million euros, plus remaining obligations for dismissed manager Carrick.

In Manchester, Pochettino will work with Dutch players Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, and Noussair Mazraoui. For De Ligt, the incoming Argentinian becomes the fourth permanent or interim coach at the club since moving from Bayern Munich in 2024, NOS Voetbal noted.

Sporza reported that a collaboration between Pochettino and Manchester United had been discussed during previous managerial vacancies following the departures of Louis van Gaal in 2016 and José Mourinho in 2018.

Reflecting on his departure, Pochettino shared a farewell message published by the U.S. federation. “The opportunity to represent the USA badge was one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach, United States Men’s National Team, telling Sporza that the team and fans will always hold a special place in his heart.

Pochettino faces an immediate test upon arrival. On November 22, he will lead Manchester United onto Anfield Road to face arch-rival Liverpool, NOS Voetbal reported.

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