ATLANTA — Mauricio Pochettino may have two feet in the United States, but his eyes are on England.
As Pochettino prepares to coach the U.S. Men’s National Team to this summer’s World Cup on home soil, he admits he misses the Premier League amidst links of a potential return to Tottenham, where he managed from 2014-19.
“I miss the football scene in England. I love the country, its culture, the football culture,” Pochettino told L’Equipe in his first interview in France since he left Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.
“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their limits, it’s the ideal place. Here, you have to give your best constantly.”
Team USA will need the Argentine’s best, at least for as long as they have him.
Pochettino’s stateside stay was never expected to be long term, but more a marriage of convenience to extract every ounce he can from the team this summer.
The 54-year-old took Tottenham to four straight Champions League finishes — including one Final — before getting fired in 2019. He went on to manage PSG before a Premier League return with Chelsea in the 2023-24 season.
That kind of résumé made him a no-brainer hire for the U.S., who will co-host this summer’s World Cup. They’re currently holding a camp in Atlanta ahead of tuneups against Belgium on Saturday and Portugal on March 31.
The World Cup is in June, with the Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
By the sound of it, Pochettino could be headed to London by August.
Tyler Adams, the stalwart engine of the midfield, is out this camp with a quad injury that will cost him two-to-three weeks for Bournemouth.
But from Cristian Roldan’s perspective, it just means he and the rest of the midfielders will have to step up in the all-energy Adams’ absence.
“It’s a huge gap. Tyler brings up a lot to our team: his energy, his ability to tackle and cover ground, his leadership. Now it’s time for the rest of the midfielders to fill that void,” said Roldan. “The midfield position is quite competitive, when you talk about guys like Weston (McKennie) and Tanner (Tessmann) playing so well, guys like Seba (Berhalter) and Aiden (Morris) playing so well, and then you have Johnny (Cardoso) playing for Atletico.
“And for me, it’s how can I compete? How can I put myself in a good spot before the World Cup, put myself in the best spot possible to make that squad? But if my name isn’t called, I’m going to be the best teammate I can be. And I fully expect the rest of the midfielders to do so … This is a great opportunity for all of us to test ourselves against some really good competition.”
The competition the U.S. will face just got a little easier with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku being ruled out Saturday as he works back from hamstring woes.
