Canada national team manager Jesse Marsch has revealed how close he was to getting both the United States and Leicester City jobs previously, in an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT.
The American is currently preparing to lead Canada in their home World Cup in North America this summer, with Qatar and Switzerland already confirmed to be in Group B alongside them.
Canada’s remaining opponent will be confirmed in the next fortnight, with four European teams battling for the final spot in the group for this summer.
The favourites to progress, Italy, face Northern Ireland, with the winner of that match facing either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on March 31.
It will be only the third time Canada have appeared at a World Cup, with their previous two appearances coming in 2022 in Qatar, where they lost all three group games, and 1986 in Mexico where they had the same record.
Marsch will be hoping to deliver the nation’s first ever point and win this time around.
Marsch Left ‘Angry’ After USMNT U-Turn
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch reacts during the first half of a Copa America match against Peru at Children’s Mercy Park on June 25, 2024.Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
At the beginning of 2023, Marsch had been seen as one of the favourites for the United States job following the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as the USNMT began the search for Gregg Berhalter’s successor.
However, Marsch was also a top contender for jobs in the Premier League with Southampton and Leicester City, where he was so close to finalising a move.
When he was being fingerprinted for a visa, the Wisconsin-born manager received a call to say that he was going to be the next coach of the United States, meaning he rejected the Leicester job.
The USMNT then performed a U-turn, as Marsch explained exclusively to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs:
“I got a call from U.S. Soccer when I was literally being fingerprinted [for a visa] at Leicester. 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.
“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.
“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. At the time, I was devastated and angry, but now I am thankful and really happy to be where I’m at.”
What Happened Next?
After his disappointment of missing out on a job with one of the 2026 World Cup hosts, he ended up managing one of the others after being appointed by Canada in May 2024.
The 52-year-old has won 12 of his 27 matches in charge, including leading the nation to the semi-finals of the Copa America in 2024, and he will be hoping for further success this summer.
The US did turn back to Berhalter before he was sacked and replaced by Mauricio Pochettino in September 2024.
The Argentine will lead America at this summer’s World Cup but his post-tournament future remains uncertain, with GIVEMESPORT sources revealing that he is one of Tottenham Hotspur’s main targets as they look to fill their managerial vacancy this summer.