Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (born 2 March 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of the United States men's national team.

Pochettino played as a centre-back and began his career in 1989 with Primera División club Newell's Old Boys, winning a league title and finishing as runner-up in the 1992 Copa Libertadores. In 1994, he transferred to newly promoted La Liga club Espanyol, helping establish their top-flight status and winning the 2000 Copa del Rey, their first trophy in 60 years. In 2001, he joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and then had a stint with Bordeaux before returning to Espanyol in 2004, winning another Copa del Rey in 2006. Pochettino was capped 20 times for the Argentina national team and played at the 1999 Copa América and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

After retiring as a player, Pochettino began his managerial career at Espanyol in 2009. He left the club in 2012 after poor results and financial disputes. In 2013, he was appointed at Premier League club Southampton, leading them to an eighth-place finish that season – equalling their highest ever Premier League finish. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 and finished as league runners-up in the 2016–17 season, as well as leading the club to their first Champions League final. He was dismissed in 2019 after a string of poor results.

In 2021, Pochettino joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France but left one year later. He took over as the manager of Chelsea for the 2023–24 season, mutually agreeing to part ways with the club after just one season. The same year he was appointed as a national team head coach for the first time, managing the United States.