FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Mauricio Pochettino had to wipe away tears from his eyes as U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson started to speak about what the Argentine has meant to the program during his roughly two years in charge of the national team. 

An emotional Pochettino managed his way through a 30-minute press conference Friday, having to stop at one point to collect himself as Batson put his hand on the shoulder of the outgoing USMNT head coach, who is leaving to take over at Manchester United. 

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham and Chelsea manager will still have a few more days running the USMNT before he departs for Europe to take over the Red Devils. He’ll coach the team for its pair of Concacaf Nations League matches against Haiti on Saturday in Miami and Tuesday in Cincinnati. 

“It’s a really difficult decision, but we need to move forward,” Pochettino said as he sat between Batson and U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone. “We need to move forward, but a big thank you from my heart and my people because you were always transparent and you always put in front the interest of the federation, but always trying to build something together, and we really enjoyed it. 

“We learned a lot from you, from you all, from this country.” 

Pochettino broke as he started to end his answer, pausing for a moment. 

“I think it was one of the most difficult decisions in our career,” he finally said after trying to collect himself. 

But the draw of Manchester United was just too big to ignore for Pochettino. While the outgoing coach did not address many topics surrounding Man United, he did insist that he had “never said that I want to go back” to Europe, but he called the Man United job “difficult to turn down.” 

Pochettino said the Premier League club had made contact with him Sunday and that he had been transparent with the federation during the process. He revealed the news to the players Thursday during a team meeting that included players and the full staff. 

“I think they know that it’s not too many opportunities that happen in your career like a side [like] Manchester United,” he said. “Of course, when that arrives, it’s difficult to turn down that situation.” 

The turn of events is sure to lead to some cynicism from soccer fans about Pochettino’s commitment or whether U.S. Soccer should have seen this coming in the first place. But Batson and Pochettino had agreed on the importance of allowing him to finish out the remainder of the international break with the USMNT. 

Pochettino could help guide the U.S. to the semifinals of the Nations League in his final two matches as the coach. 

“To be here is an honor for us. Defend that badge, defend the player and staff,” he said about coaching these last two matches. “I think it’s a very natural way to finish our partnership.” 

Friday marked the final team training before Saturday’s match at Nu Stadium, the recently opened home of MLS’ Inter Miami. 

Though it was not a farewell necessarily for Pochettino just yet, in a way it did have the feel of one. 

A group of players kicking around a ball could be heard singing “Glory, Glory Man United” at the beginning of training, and Pochettino made the rounds before things got started, sharing embraces with several players, including star Christian Pulisic. 

Pochettino, his staff and most of the USMNT attended a U.S. U-20 friendly against Japan taking place at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center on Thursday night as well. And in one video posted online, Pochettino appeared to become emotional when he was wished well by an attendee as the soon-to-be ex-USMNT coach walked by. 

Pochettino did not want to discuss legacy as it related to his time with the national team, but he does hope that he left an impact on the people he coached. 

“We don’t take a project to make things to be remembered forever and to have a picture here,” he said. “It’s the impact on the human being. Impact, I think for us, is to be a good partner. Trying to, through the vision of the federation, in that case, is to add our quality, our knowledge about the game, about how we see things and to be part of this family.”