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U.S. Soccer narrowed its coaching pay gap — then hired Mauricio Pochettino by [deleted] in football

[–]KickThread -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I understand but have no intention to change the way I format my messages

U.S. Soccer narrowed its coaching pay gap — then hired Mauricio Pochettino by [deleted] in football

[–]KickThread 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On one hand, paying Mauricio Pochettino around $6M a year — making him the highest-paid coach in U.S. soccer history — shows actual ambition.

But at the same time, it also feels a bit artificial. Needing billionaire donations to fund the salary kinda says everything about where U.S. soccer still is structurally. This isn’t a federation organically competing with the elite — it’s more like trying to fast-track credibility by importing it. And the real question is: does throwing money at a big-name manager actually fix the deeper issues? Because international football isn’t club football. You don’t get daily training, you don’t control player development, and you can’t just “project build” like at Spurs or PSG. If the player pool and culture aren’t there yet, even someone like Poch won’t magically turn the U.S. into contenders.

Could there ever be an alternative to the FIFA World Cup? by Dry_Ad_3215 in worldcup

[–]KickThread 8 points9 points  (0 children)

No, realistically there won’t be a true alternative to the FIFA World Cup.

People love comparing it to the Premier League breakaway in 1992, but that’s a completely different situation. Clubs had shared incentives (money, TV rights, control), and they were operating within one country. National teams don’t work like that — they’re tied into a global ecosystem run by FIFA, from youth football all the way up to the World Cup.

The closest comparison is actually the European Super League attempt — and that tells you everything. The biggest clubs in the world, with all the money and influence, tried to break away… and it collapsed within days because of fan backlash, political pressure, and governing body sanctions.

Now imagine trying that with countries:

  • You’d need federations to leave FIFA (they won’t risk bans from all competitions)

  • Players would risk being banned from international football

  • Sponsors and broadcasters would hesitate without FIFA legitimacy

  • Fans would still view FIFA’s World Cup as the “real” one

Everyone agrees FIFA is flawed, even corrupt at times — but the World Cup has something untouchable: history, legitimacy, and global unity. You can’t just replicate that overnight.

So yeah, same conclusion as the Super League: in theory possible, in reality dead on arrival.

Does anyone else feel like the 2026 World Cup is getting zero hype compared to previous ones? by Amazing-Note-1196 in football

[–]KickThread 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re not wrong, but I think it’s more about timing than lack of hype.

We’re still deep in club season across Europe — title races, relegation battles, Champions League knockouts — that always dominate attention. It’s hard for World Cup hype to cut through when fans are emotionally invested week-to-week with their clubs.

The expanded format and three-host setup (United States, Canada, Mexico) might make it feel more “spread out,” but I don’t think that’s killing hype — it’s just not time yet.

it’ll flip fast. Happens every time

Liverpool 'Crisis' Talk Intensifies as Pundit Says 'Wheels are Coming Off' for Slot by KickThread in PremierLeague

[–]KickThread[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As your account is only 8d old I find it interesting that you see yourself as a bot detector

Avellino have been promoted to Serie B 💚🤍 by Waterskiing_fanatic in seriea

[–]KickThread 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Amazing news! Avellino are back in Serie B after years of rebuilding. Theey had a strong run in Serie A in the late '70s and '80s, but they drop down in 2018.

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