As the saying goes: sometimes the misfortune of some is the happiness of others.
If Wilfried Nancy no longer seemed to believe in the CF Montreal project, even after a historic season, Hernán Losada is rather eager to get his hands dirty and add his vision.
The Montreal squad introduced the 40-year-old Argentine as their new head coach on Tuesday, ending 2022 on a high after a few weeks that fueled uncertainty among fans.
Beyond the records and the team’s first participation in the MLS playoffs since 2016, the face of the Bleu-Blanc-Noir has changed a lot in the space of a few days at the beginning of December. Nancy has jumped ship to lead the Columbus Crew, while defender Alistair Johnston and midfielder Ismaël Koné have moved on after a notable stint at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Losada knows that it will not be easy for him to pick up where the team left off in 2022, but he admits to having been seduced by this development project and the desire of the club to remain competitive despite everything.
“CF Montreal is recognized for the development of young people and it gives a lot of opportunities to Academy players. We have seen players like Koné and Johnston move to another level, it is exceptional for the club, and I am hopeful that we can continue this momentum. That’s the team’s philosophy, and that’s why I’m here,” said the new head coach.
Losada made his professional debut in 2003, in Argentina, and he spent the majority of his career in Belgium, where he played from 2006 to 2018. It was there that he faced Olivier Renard, the vice -president and chief technical officer of CF Montreal.
Losada announced his retirement in March 2018. Soon after, he joined the coaching staff of Belgian club Beerschot. In January 2021, he made the jump to MLS to manage DC United. At the time of his hire, he was the youngest head coach in the league.
Renard recalls the style of play advocated by Losada and how Nancy-led CF Montreal struggled in their two clashes against DC United in 2021.
“I like his ‘football’ vision, the tactical aspect and his personality. Look at the statistics of the two games against DC United: we were outplayed. Hernán has a very attacking game with more or less the same tactics as us. It’s something I was looking for too, explained Renard. When I look at our current squad, we’re not going to change everything. It is the coach who will adapt to our team, not the other way around. Hernán knows it. It is attacking football that we want to see in Montreal, and we will try to continue on this path. »
A reputation to restore
Losada arrives in Montreal with a great experience as a player, but he still has to learn his skills as a coach. Weeks after the Argentine was fired in April 2022, former DC United goalkeeper Chris Seitz posted a series of 14 tweets to talk about the severity of the team’s practices during Losada’s time as manager- chief.
Without naming Losada, Seitz indicated that he had to weigh himself every day, that his trainer put him in a position of depression and doubt, not to mention that his mental health and physical health were affected.
Losada did not deny the claims of his former player, but he said that he too was learning the basics of his new profession, after a long career in the heat of the action as a midfielder.
“I am a young coach who continues to learn, like no one else. My experience with DC United was my first experience after 15 years living in Belgium. I’m grateful for this opportunity, because maybe that’s why I’m here. There are things to fix, but I’m ready to be a better person and a better coach. It’s not easy to please everyone,” mentioned Losada, adding that he also received several positive comments.
On this, Renard said he was aware of the situation and had discussed it with his new head coach, but also wanted to be there to support him.
Losada became the ninth head coach of CF Montreal since the club entered MLS in 2012, and it is to be wondered if he will have the opportunity to establish his style and his vision even if the team struggling to recover the successes of the last campaign.
Although Renard does not want to project himself too much and wants to let the results speak for themselves, the president and CEO of the Montreal team, Gabriel Gervais, said he wanted to establish some stability within the organization.
“The average for coaches in MLS is two or three years. Of course that’s an average we want to beat, but historically we haven’t quite succeeded. I personally want to bring stability to the club, and not only from a technical point of view, underlined Gervais. This sense of belonging is very important, and I want to make Hernán understand the rich history that we have. We want to convey our values, our mission, our vision, and I felt the same energy from Hernán’s side. »
CF Montreal will begin the next season on February 25, in Miami. In the meantime, Renard will continue shopping around to make up for the departures of certain players and give Losada every chance of success.