Hedge Fund Billionaire Ken Griffin Funded USMNT Pochettino Hire

The U.S. men’s national soccer team finally has its new coach.

Mauricio Pochettino, the former manager of Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, will take the reins of an American team struggling to establish itself on the national stage, the U.S. federation announced Tuesday.

The federation said the hiring is “supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift” from hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin. The founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, has given to national soccer efforts in the past, including $8 million to the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build mini-pitches in Chicago and Miami-Dade County. Griffin also went in on an unsuccessful bid for Chelsea in 2022.

Pochettino’s salary will be around $6 million per year, according to ESPN reports, about triple what Emma Hayes makes to coach the U.S. women’s team and far more than his men’s predecessor.

“Soccer is one of the most popular sports in America,” Griffin said in a statement to The Athletic. “I am excited to join my fellow Americans in supporting our teams’ efforts to triumph in the upcoming World Cup and beyond. When our players do well on the pitch, it expands the reach of this great sport. These athletes also have a powerful opportunity to be influential role models for millions of American children by exemplifying the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance.”

Additional financial support was given by Scott Goodwin, co-founder of alternative asset manager Diameter Capital Partners, the federation said. As the federation is a nonprofit, donations are tax deductible.

Pochettino had reportedly agreed to take the job in August, but he couldn’t finalize the deal until the finances had been squared away with his old boss, Chelsea. The club still owed its former manager money from his early departure.

Chelsea’s former manager on the women’s side, Emma Hayes, recently took over the U.S. women’s national team and won gold at the Paris Olympics. According to The Athletic, Hayes played a key part in getting Pochettino, including checking in on the progress of the talks with U.S. Soccer officials on the day of the Olympic semifinal. Hayes reportedly makes $1.6 million annually, while Pochettino’s predecessor Gregg Berhalter made more than $2 million per year, though he had the same starting salary as Hayes.