Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of Manchester United for the first time against Liverpool after the club announced his appointment as Michael Carrick’s successor.
Pochettino takes over with United 18th in the Premier League after just one win in ten games. A 4–4 draw with Aston Villa was Carrick’s final match before he was sacked.
Pochettino is due to arrive in Manchester on Wednesday, 18 November, the date set by the club for him to start work. According to The Guardian, he will lead his first training session at Carrington on Thursday, giving him three days to prepare for Sunday’s trip to Anfield. The match on 22 November kicks off at 6:30pm in Egypt and 7:30pm in Saudi Arabia.
Before travelling to England, the 54-year-old will take charge of the United States for his final two games, both against Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals. The first leg takes place in Miami on Saturday, 14 November, with the return leg in Cincinnati on Tuesday, 17 November, local time.
Pochettino has signed a two-and-a-half-season deal through June 2029. United reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation to release him and his coaching staff after the two matches. He had extended his contract with the United States in August through the 2030 World Cup.
According to The Guardian, United paid the federation around $10 million to release Pochettino from his contract, plus a separate fee for his assistants. talkSPORT put the total cost of bringing in the coach and his staff at around $12 million.
“The chance to manage a club like Manchester United doesn’t come around often in your career, and when it does, it’s hard to turn down,” Pochettino said at his press conference before facing Haiti.
The Argentine returns to the Premier League after spells at Southampton, Chelsea and Tottenham. He led Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final, where they lost 2–0 to Liverpool.
After his debut at Anfield, Pochettino will take United to Lisbon to face Sporting CP in the Champions League on 25 November. His first match in charge at Old Trafford will be against Brentford on 28 November.
