Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who has a net worth of $41.8 billion, played a “significant part” in USMNT’s decision to hire Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is making headlines for becoming the new coach for the USMNT and people have Ken Griffin to thank for that.
Follow Us
Ken Griffin and Mauricio Pochettino (inset) (image via WSJ/X)
After weeks of delay, Mauricio Pochettino made headlines for being hired as USMNT’s new coach. There must have been a number of people responsible for supporting him in his journey so far. However, one special mention needs to be given to Ken Griffin, who made this possible.
CEO of Citadel, Griffin is a renowned American businessman and a billionaire. Since the US Soccer team is a nonprofit organization, they made an effort to raise funds by reaching out to Griffin. He, in turn, agreed to sponsor a substantial amount for the MNT program. Along with that, the press release announcing Mauricio Pochettino as the new coach had a small footnote added to it. The message special mentioned Ken Griffin for his support through the ‘philanthropic leadership gift’.
According to ESPN, Pochettino has signed a two-year contract with the USMNT. They also reported that he will be getting a whopping $6 million per year, making him the highest-paid coach in USMNT history. However, U.S. Soccer did not announce the compensation figures.
Mauricio Pochettino was hired in the wake of the Copa America fiasco. Gregg Berhalter, the previous coach of the USMNT was fired after the team was humiliated by losing to Panama and Uruguay. The loss made them the first host nation ever to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history. It was worse because Berhalter was rehired in 2023 after his contract had expired 7 months prior in 2022.
USMNT contacted Jurgen Klopp before Mauricio Pochettino
As per reports by The Athletic, Mauricio Pochettino had always been the target as a coach for US Soccer. Although surprisingly, they had contacted Jurgen Klopp even before they had fired Gregg Berhalter. According to recent announcements, Pochettino’s deal took him through the 2026 World Cup.
When the word spread that the USMNT were in talks with Klopp to join in, the fans got their hopes up. However, he politely declined. Klopp reasoned that he was serious about taking a break from the sport. They initially hoped that he would change his mind as the summer ended but that did not happen.
With Mauricio Pochettino, the team will get a much-needed fresh, ambitious start. His hire makes him U.S. Soccer’s first foreign pick for the top job since Jurgen Klinsmann in 2011. That also means Pochettino will require some time to adapt to the culture. The good thing is that he has 2 years till the 2026 World Cup.
Stay Updated!
Lakshita Kalra
(307 Articles Published)