Finally, the hunt for a new manager officially came to an end. The USMNT has finally settled with Mauricio Pochettino as the man to lead their ‘Golden Generation’. While they have surely hit a jackpot by signing the Argentinian tactician, only a few know that Poch wasn’t chosen. To remind you, Jurgen Klopp was the name that the USSF dreamed of bringing to the States. Though the word around the town was the German coach turned down the position, was that really the case?

Eyebrows were raised when the USMNT expressed their desire to bring the 57-year-old. Klopp had just left Liverpool after 8 years and 7 months of service. His decision to step down from the job was confusing yet understandable, yet, the former Borussia Dortmund man described the decision as an urgent requirement to take a sabbatical from all kinds of managerial duties. However, that won’t seem the case when hearing some inside details.

According to the Athletic, “multiple meetings” were held with Jurgen Klopp, despite having underlined earlier that he is “running out of energy” to constantly grease his hands on the tactical board. One may beg to differ that it must have been the Liverpool job that made things monotonous for the Champions League-winning boss.

However, even if he had already decided to take a necessary break from handling the tactical side of the beautiful game, this message could have been conveyed to the US Soccer Federation within one meeting, not “multiple meetings.” Just like the time when USMNT icon Alexi Lalas said, “Thank you Jurgen. Don’t waste our time” after having come across the news that the former Reds manager reportedly rejected the advances of the Eagles.

Yet, having numerous meetings suggests that deep down, Klopp was intrigued by the idea of coaching the Star and Stripes. Of course, who wouldn’t be? Considering they are expected to do well in the 2026 World Cup as one of the host nations alongside Mexico and Canada. However, there’s another theory as to why it wasn’t a straightforward no from Klopp.

Amidst the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT was surprised to see ‘positive’ responses from ‘big-name’ managers

While the Jurgen Klopp drama ensued, in the meantime, other names including Gareth Southgate, Herve Renard, Thierry Henry, Wilfried Nancy—and almost picked by the US Soccer—Steve Cherundolo were also being considered for the job. On the other hand, US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker picked up the phone and began calling up all the potential candidates. The response? Drum rolls, please.

To everyone’s surprise in the federation, the responses were “overwhelmingly positive.” Instead of getting some polite ‘no, thank you’s’ they mostly heard ‘yes’ a lot more often. After all, the meetings were held with over half a dozen potential candidates. In the end, it was Pochettino, that the USMNT found the most viable option.

His case was made strong not just by the reference of USWNT coach Emma Hayes, who has worked with Pochettino at Chelsea. Rather, Matt Crocker has also collaborated with the Argentine during the Southampton days. All of these factors made him an outstanding choice for the U.S. Soccer Federation.