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Mauricio Pochettino uses Emma Hayes inspiration after taking charge of USMNT

Mauricio Pochettino was appointed United States Men's National Team (USMNT) head coach on Friday and one of his first tasks was to praise former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes

[Mauricio Pochettino will not only take charge of the USMNT but reunite with a familiar face]

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Mauricio Pochettino will not only take charge of the USMNT but reunite with a familiar face(Image: Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

Mauricio Pochettino, now at the helm of the United States Men's National Team (USMNT), used his first press conference to heap praise on Emma Hayes.

Pochettino, who took over following Gregg Berhalter's exit after a disappointing Copa America group stage finish, is no stranger to success. During his time at Chelsea, where he forged a bond with Hayes, he witnessed her win multiple titles with the women's squad.

Hayes is now in charge of the United States Women's National Team (USWNT). Former Tottenham boss Pochettino reminisced: "She's amazing. She's amazing. For me, she's an unbelievable character. To be already in Chelsea we had a relationship and we shared the training ground. Emma is so excited to be here with you all, amazing coach."

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Pochettino later added: "She's so clever, so intelligent. And I hope she thinks the same about me! Every conversation we have is about how we can improve, and how we can help.

"One of the most important things that we need to aspire to is the womens team... we have Emma who is the best coach in the world, and the womens team in history won everything. We need to match you."

Hayes, who became quite enamoured with Pochettino during his Chelsea tenure, reached out to him to recount her positive times with US Soccer and inquire about the recruitment process at the Paris team hotel before the USWNT faced Germany in the Olympic semi-finals, per The Athletic. The USWNT went on to win the tournament.

[Emma Hayes clinched gold with the USWNT at the Olympics]

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Emma Hayes clinched gold with the USWNT at the Olympics(Image: Getty Images)

When Pochettino's appointment hit the social channels, Hayes was among the first to voice her cheers. "Mauricio, welcome to US soccer," she said in a clip posted to social media. "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 US soccer and I just wanted to say welcome, and I look forward to bringing you into the US soccer family."

US Soccer's Matt Crocker has revealed that throughout the Games, Hayes light-heartedly teased about Pochettino coming aboard. He shared with TNT: "During the Olympics, we were joking, every time we saw her she'd be like, 'Where's Poch?'

"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."

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