Despite the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach of the men's national soccer team of the United States has not yet become official, The Athletic reported that the former manager of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will be with the team in September, BTA reported.
Pochettino is expected to lead the U.S. players in a friendly against Canada on Sept. 7 in Kansas City, Kansas, although he may not yet be officially the coach. Until Pochettino signs the contract, Mikey Vargas has been appointed as interim coach, according to ESPN. Vargas is a former coach of the U.S. Under-20 team.
Pochettino's delay in officially signing the contract, according to The Athletic, is the coach's decision to receive compensation from Chelsea. He also managed Tottenham and Southampton in England and Espanyol in Spain.
Pochettino, who is originally from Argentina, has been out of work since leaving Chelsea by mutual consent in May. The U.S. Soccer Federation fired former head coach Greg Berhalter in July after the home team failed to get past the group stage of the Copa America tournament. The U.S. is trying to build a strong team for the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and Canada.