Manchester United has confirmed Mauricio Pochettino as its men’s first-team head coach, with the Argentine set to take over on Nov. 18. The club says Pochettino and his staff will join after completing their responsibilities with the United States men’s national team, which has two Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti scheduled in this international window.

What Manchester United confirmed

In a corporate announcement filed on Nov. 13, the club said Pochettino had agreed to become head coach on Nov. 18. It also confirmed an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation to release him and his staff after their national-team duties are complete. This moves the story beyond the reports of negotiations and an agreement in principle that had circulated earlier.

Associated Press reporting says Pochettino signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. Manchester United’s announcement did not state the contract length, so that detail comes from the news report rather than the club statement.

The U.S. team’s remaining matches set the handover

Pochettino is due to lead the United States in the two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti before beginning work at Old Trafford. The first leg is scheduled for Nov. 14 in Miami and the return leg for Nov. 17 in Cincinnati, according to U.S. Soccer. The Nov. 18 start date follows those responsibilities.

Reuters reports that Manchester United’s first match under Pochettino is expected to be the Premier League game against Liverpool on Nov. 22. The club’s announcement confirms his start date but does not itself set out that match schedule.

A confirmed appointment after the initial reports

The key change is official confirmation: the earlier reporting described a deal still being finalized, while Manchester United has now named Pochettino and provided a start date. The club did not disclose salary or other financial terms in its announcement. Read The Globuzz’s earlier report on the expected move and U.S. match schedule for the timeline leading up to the confirmation.

Sources: Manchester United corporate announcement filed with the SEC; Associated Press report via ABC News; Reuters; U.S. Soccer schedule.