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 atPremier League clubSouthampton, leading them to an eighth-place finishthat season – equalling theirhighest ever Premier League finish. He joinedTottenham Hotspur in 2014 and finished as league runners-up in the2016–17 season, as well as leading the club to their firstChampions League final. He was dismissed in 2019 after a string of poor results.[4]
In 2021, Pochettino joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won theLigue 1 title andCoupe de France but left one year later. He took over as the manager ofChelsea 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.
Pochettino was born inMurphy, Santa Fe to Amalia and Héctor Pochettino, a farm labourer.[5] His family is of Italian descent fromPiedmont.[6] Between the age of eight and ten, he played both football and volleyball, and also learned judo.[7] He supportedRacing Club de Avellaneda as a child.[8] The first football match he watched on television was in the1978 FIFA World Cup which he watched with his father Héctor at the local sports club in Murphy, Centro Recreativo Unión y Cultura.[9] He started playing as acentre-back at an early age for Unión y Cultura, a position he preferred, but he also played as a striker and midfielder.[5][10] When he was 13, he trained two days a week withRosario Central inRosario, Santa Fe, a 160-mile bus-ride away from Murphy.[11] He played in Murphy in the first division of the regionalVenadense league together with his older brother, Javier.[5] He studied agriculture in a school 20 miles from home.[10]
When he was 13, Pochettino was scouted byJorge Griffa, director of football atNewell's Old Boys, and his future managerMarcelo Bielsa, then the reserve team coach at Newell's.[12] 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 inRosario, Santa Fe. He was quickly placed in a team attending a tournament inMar del Plata in January 1987, and helped the team win 3–2 in the final againstClub Olimpia ofParaguay, after which he signed for Newell's.[8] He was offered a professional contract at 16, and made his first appearance in thePrimera División in the1988–89 season when he was 17.[13]
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.[14] Bielsa's coaching methods and philosophy would have a significant impact on the young player.[15]
In 1994, Pochettino had the option of joining a number of clubs includingBoca Juniors, but chose theCatalan clubEspanyol even though it was the least financially attractive offer as he was interested in moving to the city ofBarcelona.[19] Aged 22, Pochettino moved to Espanyol for the1994–95 season, as part of the new intake of players upon theirreturn toLa Liga.[20] There, he soon established himself as an automatic first-team starter, and developed a reputation as a tough, uncompromising centre-back.[21] 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 ofMurphy, Santa Fe.[22] In February 1997, in thelocal derby against their rivalBarcelona at the soon-to-be-demolished home groundSarrià Stadium, Pochettino man-markedRonaldo out the game,[citation needed] and helped the team win 2–0. It was their first win against Barcelona in ten years.[23][24]
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 fromValencia in the1999–2000 season out of loyalty to the club.[25] In that season, he helped Espanyol beatAtlético Madrid in the2000 final of theCopa del Rey, winning their first major trophy in 60 years.[26][27]
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 fromParis Saint-Germain.[28]
In July 2003, Pochettino moved to fellowLigue 1 outfitBordeaux for the2003–04 campaign.[35] His first game came on 2 August 2003 againstMonaco in a 2–0 defeat.[36][37] Pochettino's first goal was on 23 August, thus helping Bordeaux overcome Auxerre with a 2–0home victory.[37]
During the 2004 summer transfer window, he returned to Espanyol however, initially on loan, before he later made the transfer permanent.[38] The return occurred midway through his first year,[39] where Pochettino continued to play for two-and-a-half more seasons. In the2005–06 Copa del Rey, he was an unused substitute at thefinal, where Espanyol beatZaragoza 4–1.[40][41]
Following the win,Ernesto Valverde took over as manager in the summer of 2006, but he did not want Pochettino in the squad for the coming season.[42] Pochettino announced his retirement as a player at the age of 34.[43] He studied for a master's degree in sports management at a business school, before training to be a coach in Madrid a year later.[44][45]
Pochettino won 20caps forthe full side over a period of four years.[48] He was handed his first senior international by his former manager Bielsa, playing his first match on 31 March 1999 in a friendly against theNetherlands atAmsterdam Arena, ending in a 1–1 draw.[49] Pochettino scored his first goal on 17 November 1999 in another friendly, a 2–0 win overSpain.[50] He was a participant at the1999 Copa América and the2002 FIFA World Cup under Bielsa,[51][52] appearing in three complete matches as the nation were unsuccessful in progressing from the group stage in the latter tournament.[53]
Pochettino's most newsworthy highlight to the competition came during the second group stage match againstEngland, when Italian refereePierluigi Collina awarded Argentina's opponents apenalty, after the defender brought downMichael Owen in the box. The resulting spot kick was converted byDavid Beckham for the match's only goal.[54]
Pochettino (left) playing forEspanyol in a veterans' match in 2011
In late January 2009, Pochettino became Espanyol's third coach of the2008–09 season, with the team third from the bottom of the table.[55] Tasked with saving them from relegation, he had only just received hisUEFA Pro License in December 2008 and had spent a short spell as the assistant coach tothe women's team but was otherwise untested as a coach.[56] His first match was at home to neighbouringBarcelona, coached byPep Guardiola, in the quarter-finals of theCopa del Rey. Despite his players' reluctance and only being able to avail themselves of two training sessions prior to the game, his system of high pressing and one-on-one defensive cover yielded an unexpected 0–0 draw.[56] After he had asked for "divine intervention",[57] the side's fortunes improved and they eventually finished the season comfortably mid-table with their most significant result being a 2–1 victory in theleague derby against Barcelona, their first in the competition at theCamp Nou for 27 years.[58] He coached nine players who were his teammates during his last active year[59][60] and, in early June, renewed his contract for a further three years.[61]
Pochettino as coach of Espanyol in 2012
In2009–10, Pochettino once again led Espanyol to a comfortable league position, in a campaign where club captain (and his former teammate)Raúl Tamudo fell out of favour, particularly after the January 2010 arrival of the coach's compatriotDani Osvaldo.[62] On 28 September 2010, he agreed to a one-year extension at theEstadi Cornellà-El Prat which ran until 30 June 2012,[63] and in May of the following year further renewed his contract until 2014.[64][65] On 26 November 2012, however, following a 0–2 home loss againstGetafe that left the team inlast place with just nine points from 13 matches and with the manager complaining about the financial restrictions being placed upon him,[66] his contract was terminated by mutual consent at the end of that month.[67]
Despite the lowly league position, Pochettino's work had drawn praise from commentators[68] and he was beginning to display the characteristics that would inform his coaching at his subsequent clubs, namely the imposition of a specific tactical style on all of the clubs' team from the senior side down to youth level, attending training sessions to receive updates from all levels, a preference for4–2–3–1, a focus on a high-pressing game and the promotion of players from the academy to the first team.[68]
Despite having some knowledge of English, Pochettino initially used a Spanish interpreter in press conferences as a way to fully express himself.[75] He led the Saints to notable victories against other top league sides, including a 3–1 home win overLiverpool[76] and a 2–1 success againstChelsea also at St Mary's.[77]
Inhis first full season at Southampton, Pochettino led the team to an eighth-place finish, their highest league position since2002–03, while also recording their highest points tally since the Premier League began in1992–93.[78]
On 27 May 2014, Pochettino was appointed head coach ofTottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract, becoming their tenth manager over a 12-year span.[79] The following 28 January, the team reached thefinal of theLeague Cup following a 3–2 aggregate win overSheffield United, only to be beaten 2–0 by Chelsea in the decisive game atWembley.[80] In the domestic league,Pochettino's first season was generally successful, ending in a fifth-place finish and the conversion of several young academy players into regular first-team players; he put one of those graduates,Harry Kane, as startingstriker at the expense ofSpanish internationalRoberto Soldado, a gamble which paid off[81] as Kane and his teammatesDele Alli andEric Dier were touted as the potential basis for the England squad atUEFA Euro 2016.[82]
Tottenham were in contention to win the league in2015–16, but on 2 May 2016 they drew 2–2 against Chelsea, which confirmedLeicester City as champions. The game atStamford Bridge saw the former receive a league record nineyellow cards, and Pochettino entered the pitch in the first half to separate his left backDanny Rose from a confrontation with Chelsea wingerWillian.[83] Spurs also lost in their last match of the season, ceding the league runners-up spot to rivalsArsenal[84] – it was still good enough for their highest league finish since1990.[85]
On 12 May 2016, Pochettino agreed to an extension of his contract, committing him to the club until 2021,[86] and it was also confirmed that his title had changed from that of "head coach" to "manager", although he confirmed that the role itself was no different.[87]The campaign began with a series of 12 unbeaten league matches that ended with an away defeat at Chelsea in late November.[88] However, inconsistencies saw Tottenham being eliminated fromChampions League andLeague Cup contention,[89] as well as that falling some way behind the leaders Chelsea who had a run of 13 wins (ended by a loss to Tottenham in January 2017).[90]
Pochettino's side eventually finished in second place with 86 points, their highest-ever tally since the English League began under the new denomination,[91] their highest ranking in 54 years since1962–63 underBill Nicholson[92] and the first season-long unbeaten home run in 52 years since1964–65.[93][94]
On 24 May 2018, Pochettino signed a new five-year contract to keep him at Tottenham until 2023.[95] In December 2018, Pochettino won his 100th Premier League match as manager of the club, after a late victory againstBurnley; he became the first Tottenham manager to reach this milestone and the third fastest Premier League manager to achieve the feat with a single club.[96] On 8 May 2019, Pochettino led Tottenham to their first ever Champions Leaguefinal after defeatingAjax on away goals (3–3 aggregate),[4] with his side coming back from a 2–0 deficit (3–0 aggregate) at half-time inAmsterdam andLucas Moura scoring a second-half hat-trick.[97] The final inMadrid ended in a 2–0 defeat toLiverpool.[98]
Five months after the Champions League final, on 19 November 2019, Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur with the side 14th in thePremier League standings. ChairmanDaniel Levy cited the "extremely disappointing" domestic results as the reason behind the dismissal.[99][100] Pochettino was succeeded byJosé Mourinho.[101]
On 2 January 2021, Pochettino was appointed as the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain on an 18-month contract, where he had spent two years during his playing career,[102][103] replacingThomas Tuchel. His first match in charge was four days later, a 1–1 league draw atSaint-Étienne.[104] On 9 January, Pochettino won his first game with a 3–0 home defeat ofBrest.[105] Four days later, he won the first honour of his managerial career as Paris Saint-Germain defeatedrivalsMarseille 2–1 in theFrench Super Cup.[106] On 16 February 2021, Pochettino took charge of his firstChampions League match with the Parisians, guiding them to a 4–1 win overBarcelona at theCamp Nou in the first leg of theround of 16 tie. This marked Pochettino's first European victory as Paris Saint-Germain coach.[107] In the quarter-finals, PSG won against the defending championsBayern Munich on away goals, due to a 3–2 victory at theAllianz Arena.[108] However, PSG lost in both legs of the semi-finals againstManchester City.[109] Pochettino's team finished the season with a win in theCoupe de France final againstMonaco[110] and as runners-up in theLigue 1, a point behindLille.[111] In July 2021, he extended his contract until 2023.[112] In the2021–22 season, Pochettino won his firstLigue 1 title.[113] On 5 July 2022, it was announced that Paris Saint-Germain had parted ways with Pochettino.[114]
On 29 May 2023, it was announced Pochettino would be appointed as head coach ofChelsea on 1 July 2023, on a two-year contract with an option to extend for another year.[115][116] His first match in charge was againstLiverpool atStamford Bridge on 13 August 2023, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[117] His first win as the manager of Chelsea was againstLuton Town on 25 August 2023, which ended in a 3–0 win, with a brace fromRaheem Sterling and a first goal for Chelsea fromNicolas Jackson.[118] He guided Chelsea to theLeague Cup final after beatingNewcastle United on penalties in the quarter final and a 6–2 win on aggregate overMiddlesbrough in the semi-final,[119][120] but Chelsea lost thefinal 1–0 to Liverpool in extra time, afterVirgil van Dijk scored an 118-minute winner to win their tenth title; it marked Chelsea's sixth consecutive Wembley final defeat.[121] On 2 May 2024, Pochettino marked his 400th game as a manager in English football with a 2–0 victory over his former club Tottenham, with goals from Jackson andTrevoh Chalobah.[122][123]
After winning all five of their remaining Premier League games of the season, Chelsea finished sixth in theleague and qualified forEuropean football for next season. Despite this, on 21 May 2024, just two days after the final game of the season, Chelsea announced that they had mutually agreed to part ways with Pochettino.[124][125] Pochettino had clashed over strategy and squad management with Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the two sporting directors andrecruitment specialists backed by the owners to oversee a new club structure.[126][127][128] He had seen his request for adding experienced leaders to a young and immature squad turned down,[126] and opposed the plan for selling theacademy graduates Chalobah andConor Gallagher in the summer of 2024 to make up for expensive 2023 signings under the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations.[126][129][130] He had also resented the decision to establish a specialisedset-piece department withBernardo Cueva from 2024 to 2025.[131][129] The management, in turn, had criticised Pochettino's training methods as "antiquated" and declared interest in "a young, progressive coach willing to buy into their way of working".[132]
On 10 September 2024, Pochettino was announced as the new head coach of theUnited States national team, succeeding previous coachGregg Berhalter.[133][134] He was chosen among a list of top coaches that includedJürgen Klopp,Pep Guardiola, andGareth Southgate. His salary was partly compensated by donations from hedge fund manager and supporter of U.S. soccer initiativesKen Griffin, co-founder of Diameter Capital Scott Goodwin, and other commercial partners.[135] According to news reports, it is estimated that Pochettino will earn roughly $6 million per year, making him the highest-paid coach in U.S. soccer history and one of the highest paid national team coaches in the world.[136] Pochettino cited the U.S. as hosts for the2026 FIFA World Cup, talented player pool, potential for growth of soccer in the country, and former colleaguesMatt Crocker andEmma Hayes as reasons for taking the job.[137] His first match in charge of the USMNT was a friendly againstPanama atQ2 Stadium on October 12, which ended in a 2–0 win, with goals fromYunus Musah andRicardo Pepi.[138]
On October 15, Pochettino lost his firstCONCACAF Clásico in an international friendly in Guadalajara.[139] He then won his first twoCONCACAF Nations League matches againstJamaica in the quarter-finals in November. The first leg ended in 0–1 to the U.S. and the second in 4–2.[140] Following two victorious friendlies againstCosta Rica andVenezuela, the U.S. lost 0–1 toPanama at the Nations League semi-final.Cecilio Waterman scored the only goal at the dying minutes of the game. This was the first time the U.S. had been knocked out of the tournament after a three-peat championship.[141] Three days later the U.S. lost 1–2 toCanada in the third-place match. Pochettino urged fans patience after the disappointing result.[142]
The U.S. lost their next two friendlies againstTurkey andSwitzerland, 1–2 and 0–4 respectively, marking Pochettino's worst run of form for the U.S.. Pochettino took responsibility for the heavy defeat against Switzerland, saying that it was his choice for the starting XI and wanted the entire team to have minutes.[143]
Following those two defeats, Pochettino entered the2025 Gold Cup with a relatively inexperienced squad that summer. Many of the usual starters were unavailable due to commitments at the2025 Club World Cup, injuries, or fatigue.[144] Despite this, the team secured three straight victories againstTrinidad and Tobago,Saudi Arabia, andHaiti, topping their group with a perfect record.[145] Pochettino was lauded for bringing the best out of longtime USMNT players likeChris Richards andMalik Tillman as well as integrating new talentsDiego Luna,Alex Freeman, andPatrick Agyemang.[146] In the quarterfinals, the U.S. played a thrilling 2–2 match againstCosta Rica in which Malik Tillman missed a penalty andFrancisco Calvo converted one in regulation time. The match went straight to a shootout afterward and the U.S. won 4–3 with Tillman redeeming himself by scoring his penalty andMatt Freese named the man of the match.[147][148] Pochettino said the team "showed great character" and the win was "priceless".[149] The U.S. next faced a motivatedGuatemala who defeated Canada in an upset in the quarterfinals. The match ended 2–1 with Diego Luna scoring a brace andOlger Escobar scoring at the 80th minute after a hard-fought second half.[150] Because the match was attended mainly by Guatemalan fans thanks to their historic entry into the semifinals, Pochettino likened the atmosphere to playing away in Guatemala rather than at home.[151]
The U.S. played their regional rival Mexico in the final match. Chris Richards scored in the fourth minute off a set piece with a header. The lead only lasted twenty-three minutes asRaúl Jiménez equalized with a strong shot from inside the box.[152] At the 66th minute a controversial decision occurred whenJorge Sánchez palmed the ball inside Mexico's penalty box andMario Escobar, the referee, judged it was Sánchez's plant hand that struck the ball therefore not a handball nor penalty. Another controversial decision occurred at the 77th minute whenEdson Álvarez scored off a set piece that was initially called offside until it was revised by video assistance. The match ended 2–1 to Mexico.[153] Pochettino criticized the decisions, especially the uncalled handball, arguing that if it had occurred on the U.S.'s side, it would have been given.[154] He also noted that it was difficult for the referee to give a disallowed goal to Mexico in front of 70,000 fans as they had already been given two in previous rounds.[155]
Pochettino favours a very high-pressing, attacking style of football. He often employs a4–2–3–1 formation at the clubs he manages. While doing so, he instructs his team to build from the back, intimidate and unsettle opponents with a quick-press system and work the ball into the box.[156]
Pochettino is hailed by many pundits for his focus on developing local players from the clubs' youth academies, getting local government and references' support,[157][158] and a willingness to promote young players in general.[159][160] It was also noted that many young players under his tutelage went on to play for theEngland national team,[161][162] while the manager himself felt that it was his duty to develop English talent, saying "I feel when I arrived in Spain and now in England in which way can we say 'thank you' to the country that opened the door when I didn't speak English. And how people treated me and my family and my staff which was really well. It's a way to say thank you to the Premier League and the people who trust in you".[163][164]
Players coached by Pochettino also praised his man-management approach and guidance with his willingness to advise, encouraging the players to take charge of their own development as well as helping them to improve physically, technically and mentally.[165]
Pochettino is married to Karina Grippaldi. They have two sons,Sebastiano andMaurizio. Sebastiano works under his father as a fitness coach and has been part of his father's team since his tenure at Tottenham.[166][167] Maurizio plays for Andorran clubInter Club d'Escaldes.[168] Pochettino holds Argentine and Spanish citizenship.[169]
Pochettino believes in "energía universal" (universal energy), the idea that people, places and things are charged with a hidden energy, positive or negative. "I believe in energía universal", he said. "It is connected. Nothing happens for causality. It is always a consequence [of something else]. Maybe, it is one of the reasons that Harry [Kane] always scores in derbies. I believe in that energy. For me, it exists".[170][171]
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^Lozano Ferrer, Carles; Molinera Mesa, José Luis (3 February 2004)."Spain Cups 1999/2000". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved25 May 2018.
^Juárez, María Carmen (26 January 2001)."Pochettino: el PSG, posible puente para ir al Milan" [Pochettino: PSG, possible bridge to go to Milan](PDF).Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish).Archived(PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved25 May 2018.
^"PSG 1–3 Guingamp". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. official website. 7 February 2001. Archived fromthe original on 10 February 2001. Retrieved26 November 2019.
^abSegurola, Santiago (18 November 1999)."Argentina gana el combate táctico" [Argentina win tactical battle].El País (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved25 May 2018.
^Pérez, Gorka (22 September 2011)."La eterna renovación del Espanyol" [Espanyol's eternal renewal].El País (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved23 November 2018.
^"El Espanyol renueva a Pochettino" [Espanyol renew Pochettino].Marca (in Spanish). Madrid. 28 September 2010.Archived from the original on 30 September 2010. Retrieved28 September 2010.
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