Pochettino Defends Decision to Email Rather Than Phone Excluded US World Cup Players

United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has mounted a robust defence of his approach to informing players of their exclusion from his 26-man World Cup squad, insisting that a phone call would have been more about easing his own conscience than serving the players’ interests.

The controversy erupted after The Athletic reported that Pochettino had emailed those who failed to make the cut while sending personalised video messages to the 26 players selected for the tournament. Speaking on ESPN’s Futbol Americas show, former US forward Herculez Gomez described the approach as inexcusable, contrasting it favourably with ex-manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to leave him a voicemail when he was omitted from the 2014 World Cup squad.

Pochettino, however, was unrepentant during a subsequent news conference, drawing on his own experience as a professional footballer to justify the decision. “When I was a player, when I didn’t make the roster, I didn’t want my coach to call me,” the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St-Germain manager said. “The players who didn’t make the roster, they don’t want to hear me say ‘I apologise’. What are you going to say? Am I going to lie?”

The Argentine went further, revealing the emotional toll the selection process had taken on him personally. “I care. Do you know why I care? Because during the past two weeks I didn’t sleep,” Pochettino said. “And today, still I cannot enjoy the 26 guys that are in front of me, because I am thinking of players that are out.”

His most pointed remark came when he turned the criticism on its head. “If I call, it’s about myself,” Pochettino argued. “I say, ‘Oh, I call, I am very human about calling and then giving an explanation.'” The implication was clear: the performative act of a sympathy call, he suggested, serves the manager more than the player.

The debate touches on a broader question about modern football management — the balance between professional detachment and emotional intelligence in an era where squad announcements are dissected on social media within minutes. For Pochettino, who took charge of the US team ahead of a home World Cup, the stakes could hardly be higher.

The co-hosts open their Group D campaign against Paraguay on 13 June before facing Australia and Turkey. With the weight of hosting expectations on his shoulders, Pochettino’s every decision is under a microscope. Whether his email-versus-call approach proves to be a minor footnote or a lingering source of dressing-room tension will depend largely on results on the pitch.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE