CF Montreal names Losada head coach

CF Montreal has found a successor to Wilfried Nancy.

The team named Hernan Losada as head coach on Wednesday, weeks after Nancy departed for the Columbus Crew.

Losada, 40, previously served as head coach of DC United from January 2021 to May 2022, posting a 17-5-19 mark over 41 games.

“It is with great excitement, motivation and gratitude that I approach this new opportunity,” Losada said in a statement. “I am eager to put all my energy, enthusiasm, and abilities into this great project. It is even more special to be able to join a group composed of people with extensive experience like [vice-president] Olivier [Renard], Gabriel [Gervais] and Vassili [Cremanzidis], who have built, with the participation of the entire club, an identity and a work philosophy focused on youth development, offering them opportunities for growth both on and off the field. My mission is to continue in this same direction, offering an offensive and positive style of play while creating an energizing work environment to continue growing together and reach our goals.”

A native of Buenos Aires, Losada was a midfielder in his playing days from 2003 to 2018 and spent time in Europe with stints at Heerenveen and Anderlecht among his stops.

After his retirement, Losada became manager of second-tier Belgian side Beerschot before heading to Major League Soccer.

“We were looking for a coach who could continue the sporting project we have been building since my arrival in 2020 and we are convinced that Hernán checks all the boxes at this level,” Renard said. “With the philosophy put forward at the club over the past few years, both on and off the field, we are very pleased with our choice.”

CF Montreal opens up its 2023 season on Feb. 25 away to Inter Miami