Background and career
Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (Italian: [poketˈtiːno trosˈseːro]; born 2 March 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former footballer who is the 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. 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 served as their third longest manager in club history, and finished as Premier League runners-up in the 2016–17 season, as well as leading the club to their first Champions League final in 2019. He was widely credited for developing young Tottenham stars Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, and Harry Kane. In 2021, Pochettino joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France. He took over as Chelsea manager for the 2023–24 season, mutually agreeing to part ways with the club after just one season. In 2024, he was appointed as national team head coach for the first time with the United States. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he broke the nation's all-time managerial records of the most wins (3) and most goals scored (11) at a World Cup. Afterwards, his U.S. contract was extended through 2030.
Pochettino was born in Murphy, Santa Fe, to Amalia and Héctor Pochettino, a farm labourer. His family is of Italian descent from Piedmont. Between the ages of eight and ten, he played both football and volleyball, and also learned judo. He supported Racing Club de Avellaneda as a child. The first football matches he watched on television were in the 1978 FIFA World Cup which he watched with his father Héctor. He started playing as a centre-back at an early age for Unión y Cultura, a position he preferred, but he also played as a striker and midfielder. When he was 13, he trained two days a week with Rosario Central in Rosario, Santa Fe, a 160-mile bus ride away from Murphy. He played for Murphy in the first division of the regional Venadense league together with his older brother, Javier. He studied agriculture at a school 20 miles from home.
When he was 13, Pochettino was scouted by Jorge Griffa, director of football at Newell's Old Boys, and his future manager Marcelo Bielsa, then the reserve team coach at Newell's. Although he was happy at Rosario Central who were interested in signing him, he was persuaded to try out for their rivals Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, Santa Fe. He was quickly placed in a team attending a tournament in Mar del Plata in January 1987, and helped the team win 3–2 in the final against Club Olimpia of Paraguay, after which he signed for Newell's. He was offered a professional contract at 16, and made his first appearance in the Primera División in the 1988–89 season when he was 17. At Newell's, he played in an intense, fast-paced, high press style of play under Bielsa, who was first-team coach from 1990 to 1992. Bielsa's coaching methods and philosophy would have a significant impact on the young player. During his five-year stint at the club, Pochettino won the 1990–91 national championship as well as the 1992 Clausura. The side also reached the final of the Copa Libertadores helped by Pochettino who netted a crucial goal away to Colombian champions América de Cali in the second match leg of their semi-final, but they were beaten 3–2 in the final in a penalty shoot-out by São Paulo after both teams drew 1–1 on aggregate over the course of two legs. He played with Diego Maradona for a time, sharing a room before games.
In 1994, Pochettino had the option of joining a number of clubs including Boca Juniors, but chose the Catalan club Espanyol even though it was the least financially attractive offer as he was interested in moving to the city of Barcelona. Aged 22, Pochettino moved to Espanyol for the 1994–95 season, as part of the new intake of players upon their return to La Liga. There, he soon established himself as an automatic first-team starter, and developed a reputation as a tough, uncompromising centre-back. Due to his style of play, Pochettino was nicknamed "the Sheriff", but it was also a reference to his paternal grandfather, who once served as the sheriff of Murphy, Santa Fe. In February 1997, in the local derby against their rival Barcelona at the soon-to-be-demolished home ground Sarrià Stadium, Pochettino man-marked Ronaldo out the game, and helped the team win 2–0. It was their first win against Barcelona in ten years. He stayed six-and-a-half years at the club. Although he had the opportunity to move on a number of occasions, he chose to stay. In 1998, he stayed so as to reconnect with his former coach Bielsa, and he also rejected an offer from Valencia in the 1999–2000 season out of loyalty to the club. In that season, he helped Espanyol beat Atlético Madrid in the 2000 final of the Copa del Rey, winning their first major trophy in 60 years. In the 1999–2000 season, he signed a pre-agreement to stay at the club for six more years, contingent on funding. However, the club could not finance the deal, and informed Pochettino that he should accept an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.
In late January 2001, Pochettino signed for Paris Saint-Germain for an undisclosed fee. A regular starter during his stay, he made his official league debut on 3 February 2001 for manager Luis Fernández away to Nantes, which PSG lost 1–0. Three days later, Pochettino netted his first goal in a 1–3 home defeat at the Parc des Princes against Guingamp. His contributions helped Paris Saint-Germain win the 2001 edition of the UEFA Intertoto Cup later in the 2001–02 season following a 1–1 draw with Brescia, which meant the Parisian side won on away goals, as well as reaching the final of the Coupe de France the next season, where PSG lost 1–2 to Auxerre.
In July 2003, Pochettino moved to fellow Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux for the 2003–04 campaign. His first game came on 2 August 2003 against Monaco in a 2–0 defeat. Pochettino's first goal was on 23 August, thus helping Bordeaux overcome Auxerre with a 2–0 home victory.
