Bruce Arena has written a tell-all book that includes the revelation that he was offered the US men's national team coaching job six months before taking the position, reveals Steven Goff of the Washington Post.
In an advanced copy of the book obtained by the Post, Arena writes that he was first approached about the job by USSF president Sunil Gulati about six months before he finally took position in late November of 2016.
Ultimately, the switch was delayed in part because of the timing of USSF CEO Dan Flynn's successful heart transplant operation according to Arena.
An excerpt from the book, via the Post story:
“I felt a little bad for Sunil,” Arena wrote. “He wanted to make a change and replace Klinsmann, but he was nervous about pulling the trigger. The timing was already going to be awkward, with Copa America [Centenario] coming up in June. Now Dan was gone for two months. It didn’t feel right to move ahead at that time. … Events had already been set in motion, though.”
Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl reports that sources have confirmed Arena's account, and that such discussions are one reason for the push to create a general manager position, putting a soccer expert in charge of U.S. Soccer coaching personnel decisions.
Arena eventually took the job in late November after the US lost its first two matches in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. His second tenure in charge of the program ended less than a year later after the US's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since the 1986 World Cup cycle.
Arena's book is set to go on sale on June 12, two days before the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
