Former Leeds United and RB Leipzig coach Jesse Marsch is the new coach of Canada's men's national team, the Canadian Soccer Association announced Monday.
The announcement was made through a CSA social media account via a Facetime call between Marsch and national team CEO Kevin Blue. Marsch replaces John Herdman, who resigned last August to take the managerial position at MLS club Toronto FC.
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“This team will be something that the entire Canadian community will be excited about and ready to support,” Marsch said during the announcement. “We are going to play with power and inspiration, and we are going to try.
“I can't wait to get started.”
Marsch will lead Canada in this summer's Copa América, where the team will be grouped with World Cup champions Argentina, Peru and Chile. His first games in charge will be friendlies against the Netherlands on June 6 and France on June 9.
The hiring immediately intensifies the rivalry between the Canadian and United States men's teams. After Gregg Berhalter's contract with the USMNT was allowed to expire at the end of 2022, Marsch was a finalist for the American job. But the U.S. Soccer Federation ultimately decided to return to Berhalter following an investigation into a decades-old domestic violence incident.
The United States dominated Canada over a 34-year period, between 1985 and 2019, and remained undefeated in 17 matches. But Canada has played the United States on more even terms since then, with the Canadians going 2-3-2 as they qualified for the 2022 World Cup, earning four of a possible six points against the United States in qualifying for the world Cup.
It was Canada's first successful World Cup qualifying campaign since 1986.
The role will be Marsch's first since he was sacked by Leeds in February 2023. He managed to keep the team in the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, with a victory at Brentford on the final day of the season. But Marsch and Leeds were unable to take advantage of that respite and were eventually relegated at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Marsch also endured a brief period at Leipzig in which the team struggled during his four months in charge, winning just five of 14 league games.
Marsch had much more success with the New York Red Bulls and FC Red Bull Salzburg. Marsch led the Red Bulls to two Supporters' Shields in 2015 and 2018. With Salzburg he led the team to consecutive league and cup doubles, as well as advancing to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League twice.
