"The chance to manage Manchester United rarely comes along" — Pochettino, 3 months after leaving the U.S., heads to Man Utd... Tears at farewell press conference: "It was hard to turn down the offer"

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Mauricio Pochettino (54) is stepping down as head coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team to take charge of Manchester United in the English Premier League (EPL). This comes just three months after he signed a four-year contract extension with the U.S. Soccer Federation.

On the 13th (local time), Manchester United officially announced that Pochettino had been appointed as the successor to Michael Carrick. The contract runs for two years and six months.

According to sports outlet 'The Athletic', Manchester United will pay a penalty of over $10 million (approximately 13.3 billion won) to the U.S. Soccer Federation to secure Pochettino, who still had time remaining on his current contract.

At a farewell press conference held at the training center in Fayetteville, Georgia, on the same day, Manager Pochettino could not hold back his tears. "Leaving the U.S. national team was one of the most difficult decisions of my managerial career. I am an emotional person, and it is very hard to talk about this right now," he said. "I have been happy to be part of this family for the past two years, and I am truly grateful to the coaching staff and the players."

The decisive reason for his departure from the U.S. after just three months was Manchester United's offer. Manager Pochettino stated, "The opportunity to manage Manchester United is one that rarely comes along in a career. When such an opportunity arises, it is difficult to refuse." He added, "I did not expect the opportunity to come so soon. But we are professionals, and we work hard to realize our dreams."

Manager Pochettino, who led the U.S. to the Round of 16 at this year's North and Central America World Cup, first learned of the possibility of joining Manchester United on the 8th. After consulting with the federation, he personally informed the squad of his departure on the 12th. He will continue to lead the U.S. through the first and second legs of the quarterfinals against Haiti in the North and Central America Nations League, scheduled for the 14th and 17th. He will then join Manchester United on the 18th and make his debut in the away match against Liverpool at Anfield on the 22nd.

Meanwhile, Manchester United dismissed Manager Carrick after a severe slump of just one win in 10 matches since the start of the season (18th place in the league). Former Manager Carrick, who has stepped down, left a farewell message on his social media: "I have enjoyed the incredible privilege of managing Manchester United, which I love. I am truly grateful for the experience."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original