Guardiola’s planned year away leaves US football searching for Pochettino successor

The United States Soccer Federation may have to look elsewhere for Mauricio Pochettino’s successor after Pep Guardiola indicated he intends to take a full year away from football.

Guardiola is among the leading candidates being considered by the US federation as Pochettino prepares to leave the national team for Manchester United. However, the Manchester City manager is understood to have decided against returning to coaching immediately, despite the potential appeal of leading a national side at a major tournament.

The Telegraph reports that US Soccer is expected to contact Guardiola to discuss the possibility of him taking charge of the team. But sources close to the 55-year-old say he wants a complete break from the daily demands of the game before deciding on his next move.

Guardiola has previously spoken positively about the United States and spent part of his life there. He lived close to Central Park in New York after leaving Barcelona in 2012 and before taking over at Bayern Munich, using that period to step away from the pressures of football.

A move into international management remains a long-standing ambition for Guardiola. His coaching career so far has been exclusively at club level, with successful spells at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

He held discussions with the Italian Football Federation about becoming Italy manager but rejected the proposal last summer. Italy subsequently turned to Roberto Mancini instead.

Guardiola was also among the candidates considered by the English Football Association before Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager in 2024. The prospect of managing England reportedly holds particular appeal for him, while he has also maintained a long-standing fascination with Brazil and its famous yellow shirt.

Despite those interests, his current desire for a year away from football is likely to make a move to the United States difficult. The federation may therefore be forced to remove Guardiola from its shortlist as it seeks to appoint a new manager before its next commitments.

Pochettino nearing Manchester United move

Pochettino is preparing to end his time in charge of the United States, with the Argentine close to becoming Manchester United manager after Michael Carrick was dismissed.

The US are expected to play Pochettino’s final match against Haiti on Wednesday in the second leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. They won the first leg 6-0.

Pochettino would then begin his new role at Manchester United with a match against Liverpool on 22 November. The club dismissed Carrick after winning only one of their opening 10 Premier League matches, leaving them 18th with 8 points.

United’s problems have also extended to the Champions League, where they are 17th in the league phase with 6 points after two wins and two defeats. They opened with a 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan’s Sabah, lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid and then suffered a 4-1 defeat by Como before beating Roma 3-2 in their fourth match.

The result against Roma has not removed the pressure, with United only two points above 25th, the final position for progression to the next stage. Their schedule includes Sporting Lisbon on 25 November, followed by matches against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Villarreal.