MONTREAL – CF Montréal announced on Tuesday the nomination of Otmane Ibrir as U23 head coach for the 2021 season.
Ibrir will start on May 1 and will remain Technical Director of the Association régionale de soccer Richelieu-Yamaska.
“I’m proud to add an experienced coach like Otmane Ibrir,” said CF Montréal Academy director Patrick Leduc. “Otmane was a catalyst to many Quebec players’ professional careers and I believe he will contribute positively in the development of our U23 players.”
“I’m excited for this challenge with CF Montréal,” said the new CF Montréal U23 head coach, Otmane Ibrir. “I want to bring my high-level experience to the young U23 players so they can progress and eventually join the professional group.”
As a player, Ibrir started his career in Algeria, where he played with different clubs until 1990. He then joined the Montreal Supra in 1991 and played for the Montreal Impact in 1993 and 1994, winning the APSL championship in 1994.
Later, he coached the U15 Quebec team, from 1993 to 1996, while also acting as director of the Centre Régional de Haute Performance in Montreal in 1994. From 1996 to 1999, he was head coach of the Centre National de Haute Performance in Montreal and also head coach with Quebec teams in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, he was also Canada’s U21 head coach at the Jeux de la Francophonie and took charge of Canada’s U17 team from 1998 to 2001.
From 2001 to 2003, he acted as Technical Director of the Quebec Soccer Federation, head coach with Quebec teams and head coach at the Centre National de Haute Performance. In 2003, he became Technical Director with the Association Régionale de Soccer Richelieu-Yamaska. In 2007, he left the province to become head coach with the Algeria U17 team, then with the U14 and U20 teams. He came back in Quebec in 2010, returning to his position as Technical Director of the Association Régionale de Soccer Richelieu-Yamaska.
Esteban Landazabal will remain the team’s assistant coach, while Patrice Bernier will continue his work as post-formation supervisor.