The ongoing tug-of-war between club and country, involving Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino, and Milan, seems never to end. The United States men’s national team boss found himself at the heart of controversy after Milan accused him of needlessly risking their star player during last month’s friendlies. Now, after weeks of criticism and speculation, Pochettino has spoken — and his response included a sharp, six-word message aimed directly at the Italian side.
The situation began when Pulisic picked up a hamstring injury during the U.S. national team’s friendly against Australia in October. The match, meant to be a low-stakes encounter, turned into a nightmare for the Rossoneri, who were left fuming at the decision to start a player they believed was not at full fitness. The forward had been managing an ankle problem for weeks, and while he had been cleared for international duty, his condition raised serious doubts among the club’s medical staff.
Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica suggested that Milan’s executives were “deeply irritated” with how the U.S. handled the player’s workload, accusing Pochettino of ignoring medical warnings. But the coach has now defended both his medical team and his intentions.
What did Pochettino say about Pulisic?
Speaking to reporters ahead of the USA’s latest fixtures, Pochettino clarified why Pulisic had been left out of the national team squad for the upcoming games against Paraguay and Uruguay — and it was during this explanation that he delivered his now-famous six-word swipe at Milan. “I didn’t call him up to give him a chance to recover 100% and be ready to play. It’s a matter of common sense. We never put players at risk,” Pochettino said.
The 53-year-old went on to explain that his decision to play Pulisic against Australia was based on thorough evaluations from his medical team and on the player’s own feedback. “He played against Australia because he felt really good and because all the assessments of our doctors and medical staff were correct, and the player agreed with us,” he continued. “He didn’t play the first match against Ecuador because he arrived with a problem he had with his club in Italy. That’s why.”
His insistence on medical transparency did little to cool tensions, though. Milan’s medical staff reportedly believes the match against Australia — which the U.S. played as part of their World Cup preparations — was unnecessary. They maintain that the 27-year-old should have been rested entirely, given the non-competitive nature of the fixtures and the player’s heavy workload at the club.
Club frustrations boil over
From Milan’s perspective, the situation was avoidable. Pulisic had already shown signs of fatigue during the early part of the season, and though he was in brilliant form — six goals and two assists in Serie A — the club felt he was being overused both domestically and internationally. His latest setback, expected to sideline him for three to four weeks, came at a time when Milan were preparing for a crucial stretch of fixtures.
Christian Pulisic of the United States leaves the game after picking up an injury vs Australia.
Pochettino, however, was unshaken. He argued that Milan and other clubs — including Crystal Palace, who voiced similar frustrations after Chris Richards picked up an injury — had no grounds to complain. “They have no right to complain. We are the first to worry about the player,” he said firmly. “We are always in contact with the clubs. We’ve never played a player with any doubts. Never. Never.”
