Jesse Marsch slowly peered throughout his collection, hoping to find just the right item to show off.
It was late April and the American coach was preparing to depart from his home in Tuscany. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean awaited eager representatives from Canada Soccer in New York City, already there for an interview with him regarding their vacant men’s national team head coach position.
Marsch knew he possessed the qualifications and experience that could push a now-stagnant team forward. But he also knew a human connection with new faces could end up determining whether he’d take on a job he first applied for back as a fresh-faced coach in 2012.
That’s why, with plans of a casual dinner before a more formal interview, he chose a rare bottle of Brunello di Montalcino to uncork at the table.
That bottle of Brunello helped put everyone at ease, got them talking and showcased Marsch’s distinctive charisma and the worldly experience he possessed that other candidates might not.
The Canadian visitors shared one word over and over to describe the state of the men’s team: “potential.” And as Marsch spoke in the same inspired manner he uses with his players to share his views on world soccer and the ambition he has to develop those same players, everyone no longer needed the wine to help build connections.
It was that passion and energy that helped him land a position that could change his career trajectory and also change the course of the Canadian men’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
“Clearly, this is a critical piece of how we need to be successful going forward,” Canada Soccer general secretary Kevin Blue, who led the coach search, said of Marsch’s appointment.
Based on conversations with multiple people in and around the search for Canada’s next head coach, and through a one-on-one interview with Marsch, this is the inside story of how Canada Soccer landed the man who could become the face of the program heading into World Cup games played on home soil in just over two years.
How do you replace the most important coach and one of the most influential voices in Canada men’s team history?
That was the conundrum facing interim general secretary Jason de Vos in August 2023.
John Herdman, himself a boldly charismatic leader who helped steer the team to their first World Cup in 36 years, had abruptly departed the program for Toronto FC’s vacant head coach post. Herdman had been in the job for nearly five years, an eternity in international soccer. So much of the program’s success was tied to him, whether that was the newfound attention from the public, the pacey and attack-minded style of play he delivered or the funds he quietly raised to contribute to the team’s impressive run in World Cup qualifying.
To not only fill those shoes but take Canada into the next stage of their evolution, De Vos thought of a man known for his equally zealous charm, for trying to take teams further than they’d previously been and for defined tactical know-how.
De Vos called Marsch in November 2023 to gauge his interest in the position. Months earlier, he was in the running for the United States’ men’s team coach job. On Thursday, Marsch said he “wasn’t treated very well” through the process of vying for the position.
“It motivated me to find the right people,” Marsch said of that process.
“I went through a process with the U.S., I wasn’t treated very well.” 😮
Jesse Marsch reveals that while he is proud of the work he’s done with the USMNT, both as player and assistant coach, for now, he’s “moved forward” from potential management of the nation 👀 pic.twitter.com/b8aesD4EHL
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 16, 2024
De Vos and Marsch shared their respective visions for a team that had reached its highest highs with an appearance at the 2022 World Cup, but then came crashing back to Earth with disappointing losses through 2023.
“Sometimes you have to introduce new things,” Marsch told The Athletic, opening his hands as if the answer was obvious, “to keep (player) interest.”
As interim general secretary, De Vos was unable to offer Marsch the position, but kept his name nearby in case he gained the hiring power that came with being named permanent general secretary. Meanwhile, the interest throughout the organization in Marsch began percolating.
And it percolated for longer than expected. De Vos joined Herdman at TFC in January 2024. After Alyson Walker was named general secretary but stepped away from the position before she was set to begin, in late February, Kevin Blue was hired as full time general secretary.
The possibility of playing in the Copa America tournament opener against Argentina in June was just months away. A sense of urgency had engulfed the organization. Even with Canada Soccer needing a massive influx of cash and the men’s and women’s national teams needing formalized CBAs, Blue leaned in to prioritizing hiring a head coach.
Without any experience in Canadian soccer, Blue engaged key voices in the sport in hundreds of conversations. One person he leaned on heavily was his new COO, Mathieu Chamberland, who had been hired in February 2023. Chamberland then brought on Angus McNab, who had previously served as President of Canadian Premier League team York United and was the founder of a New York-based sports consulting firm.
Both Chamberland and McNab had their own connections with Marsch: Word had travelled and Chamberland knew Marsch had initial interest from De Vos and Canada Soccer months earlier. McNab first began crossing paths with him when he was employed by Opta Sports and Marsch was beginning his head coaching career at the Montreal Impact for the 2012 season.
Blue, McNab and Chamberland made up a new head coach search committee that also included former Canada internationals, including Tosaint Ricketts.
The committee honed in on two priorities for a head coach: first, the ability to handle and develop top-level talent. Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Jonathan David make up the best collection of attacking players Canada has ever had, and play under some of the best managers in Europe. With increased European experience, Canada’s best were developing increased tactical expectations of their national team.
How, the committee wondered, could they be pushed even further when returning to home soil?
Next, the committee wanted someone with experience in tournaments and understood the tournament dynamic.
Marsch had obvious experience.
A wildly successful two-year stint with Red Bull Salzburg saw him push the team to back-to-back UEFA Champions League appearances for the first time in club history. He was also MLS Coach of the Year with the New York Red Bulls and had recent stops on greater stages with RB Leipzig and Leeds United.
Marsch was fired by Leeds in February 2023 after seven games without a win.
Nevertheless, the committee’s connections with Marsch, plus his experience meant the 50-year-old was one of the first names they contacted.
At first, Marsch was skeptical.
Off-field drama had become more common than wins for the men’s team.
“I always treat these situations as, I don’t need to work anymore. I really don’t. I love to work. And for me, I want to find the right people to work with,” Marsch said.
Initial conversations with every candidate were meant to garner feedback: What did they make of the state of the team? Where has the team gone wrong? And what changes would they institute?
“You have to challenge (players) to understand how hard it was to achieve what they achieved in the first place,” Marsch said.
It was in that initial conversation that Marsch formed an unexpected bond with Blue. Marsch became more open to the position thanks to the energy Blue injected in Marsch.
“I could see immediately that Kevin was a very intelligent, intellectually stimulating person and had lots of experiences and expertise in running organizations,” Marsch said. “And that got me excited because I’ve worked in a lot of situations as a football coach where the structure around you isn’t as sound as it needs to be, which means I have to often go outside of my box to try to do things that, frankly, I’m not great at. And that also takes away from the ability for me to actually work on soccer.”
The list of initial candidates was whittled down and finalists had in-depth interviews. The group of highly-ranked finalists included top domestic candidates Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and Bobby Smyrniotis, as well as former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Marsch’s formal interview lasted over three hours and consisted of three different sections: Tactical and technical components, leadership styles and culture and identity including player pathways.
It was in the first component that the search committee learned that while Marsch wanted to employ a style of play heavy on pressing — running that’s typical of how Red Bull teams set up — he was still more flexible in his tactical set-up than how many believed he’d be. Marsch was clear: He wanted to rely on intelligence in his players as much as athleticism.
That he was able to discuss how he helped develop arguably the best striker in the world, Erling Haaland, in a system that wasn’t necessarily conducive to Haaland’s style, impressed Canada Soccer.
Later, the search committee convened and understood that the team could end up looking different than many anticipated in Copa America.
When it came to the leadership discussion, Marsch had a surprise up his sleeve: He produced a copy of the letter he had originally sent Canada Soccer in 2012 when appealing for the vacant full-time head coach position. In that letter, he identified problems in Canadian soccer at the time. But as the discussion continued, Marsch eagerly showed what multiple people identified as genuine “self-awareness” by recognizing his own past missteps in his coaching career, whether they be tactical or in man management.
“He wanted to drive things forward,” a member of the search committee said.
Finally, his understanding of Canadian soccer, having worked in Montreal and observed players and coaches from Canada during his time with the New York Red Bulls, led him to stress the need for unity throughout Canadian soccer.
“My job in general is to help the team achieve and get to the best that they can be. But to do that, I really believe that I have to also be a conduit of unification, of continued development and investment in the sport in the country,” Marsch said.
Marsch’s language and plans were music to the search committee’s ears. They were struck by the passion he spoke with, regarding players and tactical plans, and his desire to embrace the opportunity for transformational change.
They wanted to offer him the position, but had become aware that the interest from Korea Football Association in him was also very real. They were conducting final interviews of their own for their men’s national team coach position and Marsch was high on South Korea’s list of possible candidates.
In theory, Marsch taking over a more successful squad with better financial backing and with players better suited to his preferred style made more sense than Canada did.
Canada Soccer was dealing with financial constraints as Blue was operating with a projected $4-million operating deficit in 2024. But he had to act quickly.
Knowing Canada Soccer would be unable to afford Marsch’s salary on their own, given current financial limitations, he had to get, in the words of multiple people familiar with the process, “creative.”
Blue leaned on his experience as director of athletics at the University of California and devised a plan. Among other unnamed donors, Canada’s three MLS clubs donated to Canada Soccer to help fund Marsch’s salary.
“I expressed from the beginning that the most important thing for Canada soccer moving forward was that we could unify the nation,” Marsch said.
Multiple people with knowledge of the contributions said the ownerships from all three clubs contributed without much hesitation. They believed in Blue’s vision as he explained how vital Marsch was to achieving success. With the increased eyeballs set to be fixed on Canadian soccer in 2026, there was a shared belief within the three MLS teams that a strong national team benefits Canada’s MLS clubs.
Marsch was at his home in Italy when he received a call from Blue. He accepted the opportunity with the same earnest smile he showed through the interview process.
He now forms, along with Blue, a united leadership front at the top of the Canada Soccer food chain that has not existed in years. Marsch said on Thursday’s “Call It What You Want” podcast, which he co-hosted for the last time this week, he will mostly be based in Toronto.
Could the inherent passion Marsch has for the project turn on curious onlookers across the country, much in the way Herdman’s energy captured the country both in the World Cups of 2015 and 2022?
“I think the more that I can be a representative of the possibility of uniting (various soccer factions in Canada) and the more that I can be a listener and the more that I can engage in the community, I think that we can achieve a lot together,” Marsch said.
Doing so will be just one of the many things on Marsch’s to-do list.
After days of studying video of Canada’s most recent performances, Marsch will have to select his first squad a little over a week after accepting the position. He’ll then hit the ground running in Europe and take that squad up against two of the best teams in the world: the Netherlands and France in some of the highest-profile games Canada has ever played.
The challenges won’t get any easier when Marsch heads back across the Atlantic to open Copa America against World Cup champions Argentina before facing Peru and Chile.
And so even when Marsch had a minute to exhale after his call from Blue, there were no thoughts of popping open another bottle of Brunello to celebrate.
Marsch might have first wanted the job more than 10 years earlier, sure. But things happen faster than he anticipated, and the time to slow down has passed. His first game is less than a month away. The chance to change Canadian soccer for the better is right in front of him.
“I don’t know that this life is about celebrating successes as much as it is working toward them relentlessly,” Marsch said. “And so I’ve tried over time to enjoy things more. But that’s a challenge.”
(Top photo: Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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