MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Tuesday the nomination of former French goalkeeper Rémy Vercoutre as the first team’s goalkeeping coach for the upcoming season.
“Although heavily solicited in France following his recent retirement from the professional game, Rémy was attracted by the Montreal Impact’s project to begin his transition and I couldn’t be happier,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “He will be responsible for the preparation and training of our goalies in collaboration with Joël Bats. Rémy is extremely motivated by the idea of transmitting everything he’s learned over the years during his career as a goalkeeper, notably the ones spent working under Joël. He’s therefore well-placed to continuing in Joël’s footsteps.”
“It's an honour to join the Impact’s ranks in 2019,” said goalkeeping coach Rémy Velcoutre. “The past 20 years have allowed me to gain valuable experience as a player and goalkeeper, and it’s time to pass on what I’ve learned. Thank you to president Joey Saputo, Rémi Garde, and the club as a whole for believing in me. I’m impatiently waiting to begin working with the rest of the staff to bring this project to fruition and help the Impact reach the highest level possible.”
Vercoutre played a total of 240 games in Ligue 1 with HSC Montpellier, Olympique Lyonnais, Racing Strasbourg and SM Caen, as well as 20 games in Ligue 2, 18 Coupe de la Ligue games, 12 Coupe de France games, 10 UEFA Champions League games and nine Europe League games in a professional career spanning 20 years, during which he won the French title five times, as well as lifting a Coupe de France, a Coupe de la Ligue and two Trophées des Champions.
Vercoutre was also under the tutelage of Joël Bats during his years at Lyon, from 2002 to 2014, and was coached by Rémi Garde at Lyon, from 2011 to 2014.
He was also part of the U16 French national team program, playing six games with the young Bleus.
With this nomination, the coaching staff for the 2019 season will be composed of Joël Bats, Robert Duverne, Wilfried Nancy and Rémy Vercoutre.