Pochettino had a long playing career before moving into management, and is currently head coach of the USA national team.
He began his career with Newell's Old Boys, winning a league title with them before moving to Espanyol and becoming an important part of their success as they won two Copa del Reys.
A move to Paris Saint-Germain and then Bordeaux followed before he returned to Espanyol , here he ended his playing career in 2006.
He also represented Argentina at age group and senior level and played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Espanyol gave him a coach role with club's women's team. Soon after he was asked to become manager of the men's first team of the Barcelona-based outfit in 2009.
He made his name as a manager in England, though, first in a single-season spell at Southampton before he was snapped up by Tottenham, who hoped he could lead the club to glory.
In 2021, Pochettino joined PSG after a short spell out of the game when he was continuously linked to some of football's most coveted positions, including jobs at Real Madrid and Manchester United.
After being out of work for almost a year, Pochettino was appointed Chelsea manager on a two-year deal in May 2023, taking over from interim boss Frank Lampard.
After guiding the club to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, Pochettino left his role by mutual consent after just 11 months in the job.
In September 2024, Pochettino became the new head coach of the USA national team.
As a boy, Pochettino tried his hand as a striker and midfielder but settled on central defence as his calling and played there for most of his career.
He broke into senior football in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys,and won a single league title and enjoyed a Copa Libertadores run that ended with defeat in the 1992 final.
He would transfer from there to newly-promoted La Liga side Espanyol in 1994, and the club would come to be a vital part of his playing and managerial career. He would have two stints there as a player and also begin his head coach career with the Blanquiazules.
He was involved in two Copa del Rey-winning Espanyol teams in 2000 and 2006.
It wasn't until he moved to Spain that he broke into the Argentina national team despite appearances for both the Under-20 and Under-23 national teams.
Pochettino played in the 2002 World Cup, featuring in all three group games, but Argentina bombed out of the tournament at the group stage.
Pochettino's playing career would take him to France next, signing with Paris Saint-Germain in 2001 and commanding a regular place in the starting XI until he left in 2003 for Bordeaux.
Pochettino returned to Espanyol in the twilight of his career and three years after hanging up his boots, began coaching the club's women's team.
Pochettino credits his spells working under Marcelo Bielsa with moulding his footballing philosophy. He was mentored by Bielsa at Newell's and would earn his first Argentina call-up under the legendary coach.
It wasn't until he moved to Spain that he broke into the Argentina national team despite appearances for both the Under-20 and Under-23 national teams.
Pochettino played in the 2002 World Cup, featuring in all three group games, but Argentina bombed out of the tournament at the group stage.
Pochettino experienced tremendous highs and deep lows with Espanyol, a club that during his time as player and later as manager bounced between being relegation strugglers to competing for spots in Europe.
When he first arrived the club had just won promotion back into La Liga and he was to be their defensive reinforcement for the 1994/95 campaign.
Pochettino returned to Espanyol after his time in France and rounded out his career at the Spanish outfit. He was part of teams that won the Copa del Rey in both of his spells and won favour with the Periquitos faithful.
The club were prepared to gamble their future on Pochettino as a manager, giving him his first managerial gig just months after he obtained UEFA Pro License.
Tasked with saving the club from relegation, Pochettino would guide them to mid-table respectability, and they would remain in modest but comfortable standing for the two seasons immediately following that debut term.
Barely two months after his dismissal from Espanyol, Pochettino was appointed as manager of Southampton, taking over from Nigel Adkins in what was seen as a controversial move at the time, considering Adkins' reasonably successful record as Saints manager at that point.
Pochettino settled into life at St Mary's well, claiming some big scalps as they finished the term in 14th, five points clear of the drop zone.
The following season Pochettino delivered the Saints their highest Premier League points haul and an eighth-place finish, he also built the team into an entertaining unit, capable of huge upsets.
His time at St Mary's saw him recruit Victor Wanyama and Dejan Lovren amongst others, with the latter going on to play for Liverpool.
Pochettino's makeover of the Saints squad and playing style won him many fans in the 16 months he was on the English South Coast, including the Tottenham board - who snapped him up.
Spurs began to show a willingness to entrust Pochettino with greater transfer funds which saw quality players begin to drip into the North London club, including Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld, and Heung-min Son in his first two seasons.
In his second full season at the club they would challenge for the Premier League title, ultimately finishing third. They began the 2016/17 season with a 12-game unbeaten run but would eventually fall off the pace and finish second - their best top-flight league position in 54 years.
While there were marked improvements on the pitch and while Spurs began knocking on the door to be considered among England's big clubs, Pochettino's reign was devoid of major trophies.
The huge strides in results and the brand of football played meant that most Spurs fans were content with Pochettino.
Spurs enjoyed an incredible run to the 2019 Champions League final, including some moments of tactical brilliance from Pochettino and great mental strength from the players, including an incredible second-leg comeback against Ajax in the semi-finals to book their place in the showpiece match.
In the final itself, Spurs were overwhelmed by the occasion and a familiar foe in Liverpool.
The hangover from their European run seemed to carry over to the next term and after a poor start, Pochettino fell victim to the expectations that he himself had raised.
He was part of the PSG team that won their section of the 2001 Intertoto Cup and a team that made it to the Coupe de France final but otherwise won no honours in Paris as a player.
In 2021, Pochettino enjoyed an eventful start to his time as PSG boss, guiding the team to victory in the French Super Cup and in February seeing his star-studded outfit defeat Barcelona 4-1 at the Camp Nou in his first Champions League game in charge of the team.
That Champions League campaign was to come to an end in the semi-finals, though, with the Parisians losing both legs to Manchester City.
Tottenham reportedly wanted to re-hire the Argentinian in the summer of 2021 to replace Jose Mourinho, but Pochettino quickly declared his intention to remain in Paris.
PSG won the Ligue 1 title in the 2021/22 season, but went out of the Champions League in the round of 16, losing 3-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Real Madrid.
Pochettino's failure in Europe, despite having an all-star line-up featuring Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe, meant he was always on borrowed time at the French giants. He was sacked in July 2022, and quickly replaced by ex-Lille coach Christophe Galtier.
On May 29, 2023, Pochettino was appointed Chelsea head coach on a two-year deal, bringing an end an almost two-month process to find a permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was sacked on April 2.
Since Potter was removed and Lampard handed the reins, Chelsea have lost eight of their 11 games, winning only once.
They were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid at the quarter-final stage, and a 12th-place finish - their lowest since 1996 - means they will not play in Europe in the 2023/24 season.
One of Pochettino's first tasks was to decide who of that number are part of his plans and who can leave, with the club under pressure to sell players in order to satisfy Financial Fair Play rules after spending around £600million on transfers in the last 12 months.
Pochettino's young and expensive squad struggled in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, but they did reach the final of the Carabao Cup.
However, Virgil Van Dijk’s glancing header secured a 1-0 extra time win for an inexperienced Liverpool side in the final. It was the sixth consecutive defeat in domestic cup finals for Chelsea.
At the end of the season, Pochettino left his role by mutual consent after guiding the club to a sixth-placed finish.
His 11-month spell in charge of Chelsea ended with five successive league wins, earning a Europa Conference League place for next season.
Pochettino said after Chelsea’s 2-1 last-day win against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge that he did not know whether the club’s ownership planned to keep him on.
He revealed he had shared dinner with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly and his Clearlake Capital group on the Friday before the match and reiterated that decisions over incoming and outgoing transfers at the club this summer would be led by sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.
Chelsea spent more than £400m on new players under Pochettino, including the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson.
In September 2024, Pochettino was officially announced as the new United States head coach.
He signed a deal to lead them into the 2026 World Cup, which they will co-host with Mexico and Canada.
Pochettino told the US Soccer Federation’s website: “The decision to join US Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on.
“The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me. The opportunity to lead the US men’s national team, in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players, is something I couldn’t pass up.
“I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”
US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said: “Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams.
“His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad.”
Pochettino is a big believer in the notion of 'energia universal' and the interconnected nature of life and existence.
His net worth is believed to be around £24m, and he reportedly earns $6million a year as the US head coach.
Player:
Espanyol: Copa del Rey (2000) (2006)
PSG: Intertoto Cup (2001)
Manager:
PSG: Ligue 1 (2021/22), Coupe de France (2021)
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