Atlético Ottawa has today confirmed that Carlos González will continue his tenure as Head Coach until the end of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.
González, who addressed the media at a press conference on Thursday morning, led the club to its first major honour when Atlético was crowned Regular Season Champions in 2022. The 37-year-old was also voted Coach of the Year in the same season as Ottawa performed a complete turnaround from its last-placed finish in 2021.
“I’m delighted to have reached a new agreement with the club for next season,” said González. “I am excited to embrace the responsibility of redirecting this project, to bring more titles to the nation’s capital and give back to our incredible fanbase here in Ottawa. We are all disappointed with last season, but we have identified the elements where we failed, and we are already working on addressing each of those areas for us to become more exciting again.”
In the Spanish coach’s second year in charge, Atlético finished in sixth place in the Canadian Premier League, narrowly missing out on a place in the playoffs following a poor run of form at the tail end of the season. González has led Atlético in 62 matches (25W-17D-20L) and picked up an average of 1.48 points per match, scoring 90 goals in the process.
González added: “It is very important for us to continue evolving the identity of the team, and for this, we are looking into player profiles that will allow us to take the next step. We are also aware that creating a team with a sense of belonging will give us an extra edge when it comes to competing, so we will continue to work to develop local talents and grow the soccer culture in Ottawa and Gatineau.”
González started his coaching career after he completed his studies in sports sciences at the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio and the Universidad de Grenada. That’s when he developed his understanding of sports performance management which gave him the desire to pursue coaching soccer as a career.
He began coaching with the youth programs at the Málaga Club de Fútbol in 2012, before joining the Atlético de Madrid organization in 2015. He proved his potential growing through the ranks of youth programs at Atlético before being entrusted with the U19 team head coach role in 2018.
In 2020 González was appointed head coach of the U23 national team in Kuwait, where he led the team to its first Asian Cup qualification in ten years. He went on to coach the senior national team in three AFC Cup matches, earning two wins and a draw.
Season Seat Memberships for the 2024 Canadian Premier League season at TD Place are on sale now, offering Atlético Ottawa fans the best value for their money, in addition to perks and exclusives to be discovered throughout the season. Details can be found HERE.
