The legendary Champions League winning manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to reject any and all attempts from U.S. Soccer to take charge of the men’s national team as he is “determined” to take a year away from the sport.
Guardiola brought an end to his draining decade at the helm of Manchester City last summer, bidding a tearful farewell after narrowly missing out on what would have been a seventh Premier League title.
“I feel I will not have the energy every day, with expectations to fight for the title,” the 55-year-old explained at the time. “I know myself, I have that energy but I feel like I will not have [in the future].”
Six months on from that decoupling, Guardiola was billed as the USMNT’s top target to replace the outgoing Mauricio Pochettino. After enjoying the experience of being led by a big-name coach with a lofty standing in European club soccer, it made sense to target the most widely revered manager currently out of job. The affection, however, does not appear to be mutual.
While it has been claimed that Guardiola would be “open” to a meeting with U.S. Soccer, the former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City boss is poised to “resist” any job offer, according to The Telegraph.
Guardiola jumped straight from three years in Germany with Bayern to his decade at City, pouring every waking moment into his fierce obsession. By the end of a tumultuous final few months in Manchester, the Catalan came out of matches with scratches on his face, such was his frustration with all he had witnessed from the touchline.
A sabbatical was required and it would appear as though Guardiola is keen to stick to that plan. For U.S. Soccer, it’s back to the drawing board.
The USMNT’s Other Manager Targets After Guardiola
Guardiola was always going to be a long shot. After spending the best part of two decades consistently competing for the biggest prizes on offer, a run in the Concacaf Nations League may not have been so appealing. There are plenty of other candidates to consider.
If the USMNT is to pine after another marquee European winner, the likes of Roberto Martínez and Julian Nagelsmann may be figures to consider. Both took countries to the last World Cup, with Martínez’s Portugal bowing out in the last 16 to eventual champion Spain while Nagelsmann imploded with Germany one round earlier against Paraguay.
Thierry Henry has emerged as an unlikely contender on the periphery of this particular bracket. A legendary player for Arsenal and Barcelona who already has a prominent profile in the U.S. as a soccer pundit, Henry also has some managerial experience. There were short-lived spells at Monaco and CF Montréal before the former France international led his nation’s U-23 side to the Olympic final on home turf in 2024, beating the USMNT along the way.
Current U.S. U-23 boss Steve Cherundolo is slated to take on the December camp, although that would appear to be a temporary arrangement before his focus shifts back to preparing the kids for an Olympic Games in L.A.
• The Most Defining Moments of Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT Tenure—Good and Bad
U.S. Soccer has at least $10 million from Pochettino’s buyout to help fund a new appointment. “Our supporters, our sponsors, our donors, our fans are very supportive around making sure that we have the resources to achieve our goals, including having a world-class coach,” CEO JT Batson outlined.
Such extravagance may not be required if the U.S. chase after New Jersey-born Real Sociedad boss Pellegrino Matarazzo, who led the Basque club to the Copa del Rey title within four months of his appointment last year.
B.J. Callaghan is another less flashy name with a track record that warrants further scrutiny. Putting aside his record-breaking season with Nashville this year, Callaghan managed to win the Concacaf Nations League during his six-week interim stint with the USMNT—that’s one more trophy than Pochettino ever lifted for the Stars and Stripes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
