Pep Guardiola is being linked with the USA job, but the latest reporting says he is expected to turn it down. The reason is his own plan, not the size of the vacancy. After leaving Manchester City at the end of last season, Guardiola is understood to want a one-year break from football before he returns to coaching.
Guardiola's sabbatical plan
Jason Burt, in reporting carried by A Bola and Transfery.info, said Guardiola will reject any approach from the United States federation. Burt's line was direct enough, and it fits the broader reporting around Guardiola's next move.
He is 55 and has been linked with national-team jobs in Brazil, England and Italy before, but the current noise around the USA is running into the same barrier. A one-year break is a strong reason for the federation to look elsewhere rather than wait on a name that may not be available.
The wider coaching shuffle
Mauricio Pochettino is set to leave the United States job and head to Manchester United, which creates the vacancy in the first place. The timing is still being worked through, with one report saying he is due to oversee the second leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals against Haiti while the United States hold a 6-0 first-leg advantage.
The search matters because United are already under pressure. They sit 18th in the Premier League with 8 points from 10 league matches, while the USA have a temporary solution lined up with Steve Cherundolo expected to take the December camp before returning to Olympic preparations. Guardiola is the glamorous name in the frame, but the reporting points toward Roberto Martínez or another candidate becoming the more realistic option.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
