Armando Sá and Daniel Ortiz have been named as part of Pacific FC’s coaching staff ahead of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season.
Sá returns for his second season as the Tridents’ Assistant Coach and Ortiz joins as the club’s new Head Goalkeeper Coach.
Sá joined Pacific prior to last season after a professional playing career in Europe where he played for historic European clubs such as Benfica, Villareal, Espanyol, and Leeds United, and other notable Portuguese clubs such as Rio Ave and Braga. Sá won multiple major trophies in his playing career including the domestic cup competition in Portugal – Taça de Portugal – with Benfica as well as in Spain – Copa del Rey – with Espanyol, and won the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup with Villareal. Sá spent time learning under world-class head coaches such as Manuel Pellegrini and Ernesto Valverde during his playing days. He also has an extensive coaching career prior to arriving on the Island, most significantly founding his own soccer academy. From 2019 until coming to the Island in 2022, Sá was the owner and technical director at PRO11 Soccer Academy in Ontario.
“Armando has the experience of playing at the highest levels, with football clubs all around the world. This is so important for our players and their aspirations,” says Pacific FC Head Coach James Merriman. “We are also constantly trying to drive the standards of our organization to the highest level we can. He has been in top, top professional football environments and knows the expectations.”
In his first season with Pacific, Sá helped Head Coach James Merriman lead the team back into the CPL playoffs. and on their first-ever adventure in the CONCACAF League which included a 6-0 victory at home in the Preliminary Round and a last-minute goal away from home to force penalties in the Round of 16. Sá’s tactical and personal style of coaching blended well with Merriman’s to create an effective management system in both coaches’ first season in their respective roles.
Sa holds a UEFA A License and Canadian A License, among other coaching credentials.
“Armando is very important to our staff and the overall development of our players. He pushes myself and we are both very motivated coming into our second season working together,” says Merriman.
The new arrival to the PFC staff, Ortiz, joins the club after six years with one of the giants of world football, FC Barcelona. During his time in the world-renowned La Masia academy, know for its long history of producing some of the best players in world football, Ortiz coached all age groups from U8 to U14.
“Daniel’s pedigree coming from FC Barcelona, working directly in La Masia is an incredible opportunity for not only our goalkeepers but our entire organization,” says Pacific FC Head Coach James Merriman.
Ortiz started at La Masia as the Goalkeeper Coach for the U8 to U12 teams from 2016-2018, before moving onto the U13 and U14 teams where he spent the last four seasons. He was also the Goalkeeper Specialist Talent Recruiter for all age groups he coached at La Masia, and was Head of the Seven-a-Side Goalkeeper Department at the club for multiple seasons.
Before joining Barcelona, Ortiz spent three seasons as the First Team Goalkeeper Coach and Head of the Goalkeeping Department at UE Castelldefels, a lower division side in the Spanish football pyramid.
Ortiz holds a UEFA A License, UEFA Goalkeeper B License, and completed the Spanish National Professional Course as a Specialist of Goalkeeping.
Pacific FC is currently in conversations with several potential goalkeepers to work under Ortiz and alongside returning goalkeeper, Emil Gazdov.
“As we are still growing and developing as club, he will bring his expertise and drive the overall standards for both our First Team and youth programming,” says Merriman.
“We have only spent a few days together now but we already clearly see his knowledge and insight. We are extremely excited to have him in our staff.”
2023 Season Tickets are now available! Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest news.