Mauricio Pochettino appointed Manchester United manager
Mauricio Pochettino was named Manchester United's new manager on Friday, November 13, 2026, following the dismissal of Michael Carrick and is set to take charge from November 18 after two matches against Haiti. The 54-year-old is understood to have signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford, taking him through to the end of the 2028/29 season.
The club confirmed it had secured Pochettino’s release from U.S. Soccer, saying: "The club has reached an agreement with the U.S. soccer federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. men's national team." The statement added: "The Argentinian is renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players. "Pochettino has consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues." Pochettino, who led the United States to the last-16 of the World Cup on home soil earlier this year, described the U.S. role as "one of the greatest honours of my career" and said: "We are so grateful to the players for their commitment, to the fans for their belief, and to the federation for always supporting our staff and creating the opportunities to impact the culture of soccer in this great country." U.S. Soccer CEO and secretary general J. T. Batson said Pochettino had left a lasting mark on football in the United States through his "leadership, professionalism and commitment to our players and culture".
The federation is reportedly set to receive $10 million in compensation for him, plus a further $2 million for the departure of his coaching staff. Pochettino has previously managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in England, and also coached Paris Saint-Germain.
During his five seasons at Tottenham he "never finished lower than fifth in the Premier League," but he did not win silverware at Spurs and was dismissed in November 2019, months after the north London club lost to Liverpool in the Champions League final. He later won his first managerial trophies with PSG, collecting the 2021 French Cup and 2022 Ligue 1 title, though he did not see out his contract there.
Pochettino returned to the dugout at Chelsea in 2023 but lasted a single season, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and losing in the League Cup final. He has been linked with the United job on several previous occasions and inherits a squad widely described in the club statement as requiring rebuilding.
Manchester United, the 20-time English champions, have endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and are in the relegation zone after winning just one of their 10 league matches so far. The Red Devils are next in action at the home of fierce rivals Liverpool on November 22.
Off-field tensions present additional challenges: United captain Bruno Fernandes was dropped last month after he criticised Carrick's tactics following a 4-1 Champions League humbling by Como, and defender Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the hierarchy for not doing more to strengthen the squad in the summer transfer window. One early issue for Pochettino could be the future of Portugal international Fernandes, who is understood to have rejected a second contract offer; United have an option to extend his deal to the end of the 2027/2028 season, meaning he would not be free to talk to other clubs in January.
Fans protested following Carrick’s sacking and continue to vent frustration at the club’s ownership; the U.S.-based Glazer family still hold a majority stake after Malcolm Glazer's 2005 leveraged takeover, which the article says saddled United with huge debts, and hopes tied to the arrival of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner in 2024 have since faded.
Pochettino will assume his duties on November 18 after the United States' fixtures and, with Manchester United scheduled to face Liverpool on November 22, his first match in charge is set to come at Anfield.
