It’s official: the Whitecaps sign coach Vanni Sartini with a two-year extension

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Jeans are back.

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In a move that had been expected for several weeks, the Vancouver Whitecaps announced Tuesday that they signed Vanni Sartini to a two-year contract extension and made him the team’s full-time head coach, removing the interim tag he wore. since the summer. .

He was put in charge after Marc Dos Santos was fired in late August, and in 14 regular-season games with Sartini in charge, the Caps lost just twice, to seven wins and five draws.

The Caps reached the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in four years, losing to Sporting Kansas City in the first round.

Sartini’s enthusiasm and casual appearance on the bench (he often coached games in jeans) made immediate connections with fans, who came out in droves to support the Caps at BC Place in the final weeks of the season, bringing him gave the MLS team the kind of crowd. they hadn’t seen in several seasons, even before COVID-19 put a stop to everything.

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It was the second time that Sartini was a head coach at a senior level (he was a head coach at AS Mezzana, a small club in Italy from 2008 to 2011) after years working as a youth, development and assistant coach in Italy, the United States. and Canada.

“These last three months have completely changed my life,” Sartini, 45, said in a statement released by the team. “When the club gave me the opportunity to be a head coach in August, I didn’t know how long it was going to last, but I knew I had to give it my all and seize the opportunity. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a great team and I am very honored, but also very excited, to help grow this club and continue this journey. Everyone now knows that we are a good team, there are certain standards that must be met and the best is yet to come. “

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He was initially hired as an assistant on the Dos Santos staff for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, then went on to lead the club’s academy program and served as director of methodology, guiding the coaching development, training and education philosophies used in the whole club.

The rest of Sartini’s staff, assistant coaches Ricardo Clark and Michael D’Agostino, goalkeeping coach Youssef Dahha, plus first team support staff, including Jon Poli, Luke Summers and Andrew Foster, have also been retained for the 2022 season. Sartini’s agreement runs through the end of the 2023 season.

“We are delighted to officially remove the interim tag and announce Vanni as our MLS head coach. He really loves the game, this club and this city, ”Axel Schuster, the Whitecaps’ athletic director, said in a statement. “After the mid-season change, Vanni has shown that he has a strong tactical understanding of what it takes to be successful, as well as a clear vision and style of play. His passion and enthusiasm have energized our club and the community. Together with Vanni and his staff in 2022, we want to take the next steps in our development and have more exciting times together with our fans at BC Place. “

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