Jesse Marsch was ‘devastated, angry’ over USMNT U-turn

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said he is happy in his current post, despite at one point being “devastated and angry” about how he lost out on the United States men’s national team job that went to Gregg Berhalter in 2023.

Marsch said in an interview with GiveMeSport released Thursday that during talks with the U.S. Soccer Federation, he was led to believe that he would be the team’s next head coach.

But the U.S. then made an abrupt turn back to Berhalter, who ended up getting the job. Berhalter lasted just one more year before getting fired in July of 2024 following the USMNT’s group stage exit at that year’s Copa América. That paved the way for the U.S. to hire Mauricio Pochettino, but Marsch says he now has no regrets.

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“All I’d say is that it was made very clear to me by U.S. Soccer that I was going to be the [USMNT] coach, and then it was made very clear to me that I was not,” Marsch said. “At the time, I was devastated and angry, but now I am thankful and really happy to be where I’m at.”

Adding to Marsch’s anger was the fact that by engaging in talks with the USSF, he had to walk away from a handshake agreement to become manager of Leicester City. That he thought he was guaranteed the U.S. job was why he changed course.

“I got a call from U.S. Soccer when I was literally being fingerprinted [for a visa] at Leicester,” said Marsch. “I was ready to take that job, so it changed the trajectory of my life. I think things happen for a reason, and I’m happy with where I am right now.”

He added, “There was a match that day [against Bournemouth] and we were going to go to the [King Power] stadium together. Everything was agreed upon. And by the way, the Leicester people are fantastic. I felt terrible. It was the second time that I had pulled the rug out from under a club. It happened with Southampton as well. In another lifetime, Leicester would have been a really cool experience.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation declined to comment when approached by ESPN.

When Berhalter was dismissed in 2024, Marsch said he had “no interest in the U.S. job,” adding that “unless there’s a big shift in the organization, I don’t think that I’ll ever have any interest in that job in the future.”

Marsch said he now feels he’s with an organization in Canada Soccer that more closely aligns with his vision and values.

“Landing here in Canada, I just feel like I have found a team, a fan base and a country that fits with who I am and with the things I believe in, and that is also willing to think about how to work together in the football community to build the sport in a way that that is beneficial for everybody,” he said.

“That’s not to take anything away from the United States. It’s just so big with many spheres of influence, so many egos and opinions, and people that want to have a say. Canada is calmer. There are fewer people and spheres of influence. There’s more of a desire for everybody to work together. And there is more of an understanding that this moment in time is important for everyone in the country.”

Marsch has faced the U.S. twice since his hiring, claiming 2-1 wins on both occasions — in a friendly in 2024 and in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match last year.

He added that he wishes the U.S. well, and wants to see the sport grow there, but didn’t necessarily enjoy the occasion of facing the country of his birth.

“I don’t like playing against the U.S. because of that,” said Marsch, himself a former U.S. international. “It winds up being too much about me and the U.S. Sometimes, even when I make comments about our team, people think I’m making them to spite the U.S. I’m over that. I want the U.S. to be successful.”