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BRIDGEVIEW, IL - Juan Carlos Osorio was officially introduced as the new head coach for the Chicago Fire at a news conference held this morning at TOYOTA PARK. President/CEO John Guppy announced that Osorio has signed a multi-year deal to coach the club. Specific terms of the contract were not disclosed due to Major League Soccer policy. Osorio takes over for interim coach Denis Hamlett, who guided the Fire to a 1-1-2 overall record (0-1-2 MLS mark) after Dave Sarachan was let go on June 20.
Osorio will make his MLS coaching debut this Thursday when the Fire plays host to the Houston Dynamo on ESPN2 Prime Time Thursday at TOYOTA PARK (8:00 p.m. CT).
"Juan Carlos is a respected manager with outstanding soccer credentials," said Guppy. "He is a sound tactician, a decisive decision maker and an excellent communicator. With Juan Carlos, we are bringing in someone who will address every aspect of training and get the most out of our players. We are excited about a new era of Fire Soccer with Juan Carlos' hiring."
"I'm also very appreciative of the job Denis has done for us in an interim capacity these past two weeks," Guppy added. "When the time comes for Denis, he will make for a very good head coach."
Osorio, 46, most recently as manager for Club Deportivo Los Millonarios, the most successful franchise in the Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (Copa Mustang). In 2007, Osorio led the Bogotá-based club to a 11-6-7 record during the Finalizacion (closing) season and a fourth-place finish out of 18 teams in the Mustang Cup. Millonarios also qualified for the 2006 Copa Sudamericana, one of the top club competitions in South America.
Prior to joining Millonarios, Osorio spent five years (2001-06) with Manchester City F.C. of the English Premier League, starting as conditioning coach before being promoted to assistant manager.
The Fire's new coach is no stranger to MLS, spending two seasons (2000-01) as assistant coach/conditioning coach for the MetroStars. Working under head coach Octavio Zambrano, Osorio helped the MetroStars capture the 2000 Eastern Conference title and qualify for back-to-back MLS Cup Playoffs.
Osorio's playing career included stints with the New York Fever (1996-97), New York Centaurs (1995-96) and Brooklyn Italians (1994-95). He also played for the Staten Island Vipers of the A-League, which was the highest level of U.S. professional soccer prior to the formation of MLS in 1996. In addition, Osorio's playing career included stints with Deportivo Periera (1982-84) of the Colombian First Division and Second Division Risaralda FC (1984). In 1982, he saw time with the Colombian Under-20 squad. Osorio began his coaching career as assistant coach/conditioning coach at Staten Island (1998-99).
A native of Santa Rosa del Cabal, Colombia, Osorio holds an English Football Association "A" coaching license and a coaching certificate from the Royal Netherlands Football Association. He earned a B.A. in exercise science from Southern Connecticut State University in 1990 and holds a diploma in science and football from John Moores University in Liverpool, England.
Juan Carlos and his wife, Juliette, have two sons, Sergio (7) and Sebastian (4).
