The U.S. Soccer Federation went all out to secure Mauricio Pochettino as the manager of the United States men's national team.
It has been confirmed Pochettino will be taking the reins as the USMNT manager, signing a two-year contract that will see him through to the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine is stepping into the shoes of Berhalter, who was let go after a lacklustre group-stage exit from the 2024 Copa America.
Pochettino was enticed with a big salary to become the United States' new manager. According to ESPN, he will receive $6 million (£4.6m) per year in his new role - far more than the $1.6 million (£1.22m) per year Hayes was handed in a groundbreaking contract which matched Gregg Berhalter's base salary earlier this year.
Hayes has been outspoken about the pay disparity between men's and women's football. But while hiring Pochettino means the USA now pays its men's manager far more than she earns as women's manager, she was fully behind the appointment.
In fact, The Athletic reports that Hayes played an active role in the appointment, reaching out to Pochettino before he made his decision to take the job to share her positive experiences with U.S. Soccer. She also urged the U.S. Soccer Federation to consider the Argentine as a top candidate.
Pochettino and Hayes have crossed paths before at Chelsea, where they respectively led the men's and women's teams. They seemed to enjoy working together and have held each other in high esteem ever since.
Before the USWNT's showdown with Germany in the Olympic semi-final rematch in Lyon, France, Hayes even checked in with U. S. Soccer officials at the team hotel to get an update on the status of negotiations with Pochettino.
"Of course, she's an unbelievable coach, and an unbelievable person. During the Olympics, we were joking, everytime we saw her she'd be like 'Where's Poch? '" U. S. sporting director Matt Crocker revealed to TNT. "From that perspective, she knows him, and we used that as a reference point as well ...They've got the highest respect for each other, I guess the dynamic of those two working together is exciting for us."
Emma Hayes extended a warm greeting to Pochettino after he was appointed to his new role. In a social media video, she expressed eagerness, she said:, "Mauricio, welcome to U.S. soccer. I cannot wait to work with you again, and I look forward to collaborating over the next couple of years. This is an exciting time for U.S. soccer and I just wanted to say welcome, and I look forward to bringing you into the U.S. soccer family."