Wisconsin native Jesse Marsch named head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team
Racine native Jesse Marsch was named head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team, the Canadian soccer federation announced Monday.
Marsch, a 1991 graduate of Racine Case High School, had in recent years led Leeds United, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.
He's expected to coach Canada in friendly matchups against Netherlands June 6 and France on June 9, in what the Canadians hope will be in preparation for the Copa América later this year.
“This team is going to be something that the entire Canadian community is going to be so excited about and ready to support. We’re going to play with power and inspiration,” Marsch said in a statement to The Athletic.
Early last year, Marsch was candidate for the U.S. job had the soccer federation moved in a new direction following the 2022 World Cup. Ultimately, the Americans recommitted to manager Gregg Berhalter.
Marsch, 50, is the first American to coach in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2019, when he guided RB Salzburg of Austria into the fray — a major achievement for Austrian soccer.
He also won the "double" for Salzburg, claiming the league and domestic cup in Austria, a particularly impressive feat considering Marsch was in his first season as manager. It made Marsch the first American manager to win a European title.
From there, he was hired as manager of RB Leipzig, a squad in the prestigious German Bundesliga, but he was fired in December 2021 after only eight months on the job. In late February 2022, Marsch became the third American to coach a Premier League club when he was hired by Leeds; that partnership came to an end after less than a year on the job.
Marsch, a former high school soccer standout, was an All-American at Princeton University, graduating in 1996, and is one of the most decorated and respected players in Major League Soccer history. Marsch won three MLS Cup titles and four U.S. Open Cup medals during his 14-year MLS career.
JR Radcliffe contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Racine, Wisconsin native Jesse Marsch named Canada men's soccer coach
