The Montreal Impact on Monday announced Marco Schallibaum as the new head coach of the club.
The 50-year-old is a veteran of the Swiss Super League, where he played from 1980 to 1995, and where he managed for nearly a decade with several clubs, including FC Basel, BSC Young Boys and FC Sion, among others. He recently served as a FIFA coaching instructor in Qatar, Mongolia and South Korea, and speaks four languages, including French, English and Italian.
"We are confident that Marco Schallibaum will help us succeed," Montreal sporting director Nick De Santis said in a club statement. "With the rest of the technical staff, we will put him in the best situation possible in order to help him adapt quickly to the reality of North America. He is also very passionate about the game and is an excellent communicator that speaks a number of languages."
The Impact had been without a manager since Jesse Marsch parted ways with the club on November 3 following the club's first MLS expansion season. In the intervening weeks, the club's technical staff has made several personnel moves, including the signing of attacking midfielder Andrea Pisanu, and now they have a manager ready to take over.
"From our very first discussion, I felt confidence with the management," Schalliibaum said in a club statement. "I watched a few of the team's games from last season on video. We have a good roster with quality players and I saw a lot on character on the field. I will do all I can to help this team win."
Montreal open their training camp ahead of the new 2013 season on January 21.
The Impact's hire leaves the New York Red Bulls as the only MLS club without a head coach ahead of the MLS Player Combine, which kicks off later this week.
