U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) coach Mauricio Pochettino has refuted reports linking him to the vacant managerial position at Premier League club Brentford. The Argentine coach, who took over the USMNT in September 2024, denied any contact with the Bees, dismissing claims that he was interviewed for the job.
Reports had surfaced in Irish media suggesting that Brentford interviewed Pochettino alongside Steve Cooper before ultimately appointing Keith Andrews as their new manager. However, Pochettino has firmly denied these claims, stating, "This club never contacted me. I never talked to them". He made the remarks to Fox Sports amidst preparations for the USMNT's Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Costa Rica.
Pochettino's denial comes amidst previous speculation linking him with other Premier League jobs. Earlier in June, he was rumored to potentially return to Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou's departure. However, he quickly dismissed those rumors, affirming his commitment to the USMNT. "Since I left in 2019, for the position of the manager or the head coach, my name has been appearing on every list!" he said. "If you are seeing the rumors I've seen, there are 100...".
Under the terms of his contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), any club or national team interested in acquiring Pochettino's services would need to seek permission from the USSF to initiate contact. Failure to do so would constitute "tampering," a violation of Premier League rules that prohibit clubs from making informal approaches to managers or players contracted to other teams.
Pochettino's focus remains firmly on his role with the USMNT, with whom he has a record of 8 wins and 3 losses. He is currently leading the team in the Concacaf Gold Cup, where they advanced to the quarterfinals as Group D winners after victories over Haiti, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad and Tobago. While some observers feel results "haven't been what most would've hoped", he remains the best hope that they have at the World Cup.