Pochettino's 'Death Email' Mystery: The Coach Chooses a Cold Way to Write Off the US Players for the 2026 World Cup

Illustration of the US player's email being intercepted. (photo: doc. chatgpt)

JAKARTA - The grand stage on the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York, Tuesday afternoon, looked perfect. One by one of the 26 players of the United States national football team (USMNT) were introduced to the public with the accompaniment of dramatic steam cannon effects. They are the knights of choice who will carry the public's hopes for Uncle Sam at the 2026 World Cup.

However, behind the loud applause and smoke on stage, a big commotion is actually sneaking from behind the players' screens.

US head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been caught using a method that has sparked fierce debate in the football world: firing dozens of players from the final squad via email.

The move sparked an immediate backlash. In a modern era where personal communication is considered a key to human management, the decision to send a "love letter" of rejection through a digital inbox is considered an act that is too cold, even cruel.

"Diabolical" and Without Empathy?

One of the sharpest criticisms came from former US national team striker Herculez Gomez. He did not hesitate to call the Argentine man's method something "diabolical" - a term to describe an act that is very evil or heartless.

Gomez highlighted the fate of young players like Diego Luna, a midfielder whose face has even been featured in various World Cup promotional materials and advertisements.

"You have no problem using his face to rake in dollars from the marketing sector, but the minimum he deserves (when he is cut) is a direct explanation via telephone," said an angry Gomez.

He compared Pochettino to his predecessors like Bob Bradley or Jürgen Klinsmann, who always took the time to look into the eyes or at least speak directly over the phone with the eliminated players. Even at the 2014 World Cup, Klinsmann legendarily sat down directly with US soccer icon Landon Donovan to deliver the bad news that he was cut.

Interestingly, Donovan himself chose to be more moderate in responding to this controversy.

"I can understand where Pochettino's point of view comes from," Donovan told The Guardian. "Not hearing directly from the coach in a bad situation like this can sometimes be a good thing. The situation will not change."

Alibi Pochettino

Facing a rising wave of criticism, Pochettino did not stay silent. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager actually attacked back the assumption that he did not have empathy.

For Pochettino, calling a player who is heartbroken for failing to perform at the World Cup is just a selfish pretense from a coach to look like a "good person".

"Players who are not in the squad do not need to hear my apology," Pochettino said in a stern tone at a press conference in New York.

"I care a lot about them. You know the proof? For two weeks I couldn't sleep. Even today, I can't enjoy the joy with the 26 players who qualified because my mind is still on those who were crossed out. That's just called caring!" said Pochettino.

He added that calling only to give a tactical excuse would feel like an imposed lie. "If I call them, it's just for my own comfort to be considered human. Come on, that's bullshit," he said sharply.

Pochettino also reflected on his own past when he was fired by Tottenham owner Daniel Levy. At that time Levy invited him to talk after the dismissal, which was immediately rejected by Pochettino because it was considered useless.

Risk of Space Replacement Cracks

Pochettino's pragmatic approach does have a basis in managerial logic: maintaining equality of treatment within the team. If he only calls up star players who are on the verge of being eliminated (on the bubble) like Diego Luna or Tanner Tessmann, it has the potential to trigger jealousy and resentment from other players who are ignored.

However, this "death email" strategy still carries latent risks. Based on FIFA regulations, Pochettino still has time until the opening match against Paraguay to make emergency changes if there are injured players.

This means that players on the waiting list can be called back at any time to save the team. The question now: with psychological wounds caused by being cut off by an email, how much loyalty and passion is left in their chests if the emergency call really comes?

The 2026 World Cup is yet to officially kick off, but Pochettino has made one thing clear: he is not here to make friends, but to win his own way.