Atlético Ottawa Appoints Diego Mejia as Head Coach

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CPL Atletico Ottawa

Atlético Ottawa Appoints Diego Mejia as Head Coach

January 15, 2025 - Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release


OTTAWA, ON - Atlético Ottawa confirmed today the appointment of Diego Mejía as Head Coach on a one-year deal with a club option to extend through 2026, ahead of the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season.

Mejía, 41, is a Mexican Head Coach who was most recently appointed as FC Juárez's (Liga MX) Manager in April 2023, overseeing 28 games in Liga MX's Clausura and Apertura seasons and the Leagues Cup. He is a former professional soccer player and disputed over 400 matches during a 14-year career in Mexico's First and Second divisions.

"I am honored to join a top team and be part of such an exciting project in the Canadian Premier League," said Diego Mejia, Head Coach, Atlético Ottawa. "Our mission is to bring joy and pride to our passionate and loyal fanbase through our performances on the field. As my family and I settle into this amazing country, I am eager to embrace the local community and experience their incredible support. I can't wait to kick off pre-season and witness our fans' energy as they cheer us on."

Atlético Ottawa's third-ever Head Coach Diego Mejía (credit: Alex Barrios / Atlético San Luis)

Having retired in 2018, Mejía, spent time working at Manchester City (English Premier League) and gaining coaching experience throughout Europe before joining FC Juárez (Liga MX) as Assistant Manager from January 2021 to April 2023.

"We are excited to announce Diego Mejia as the new head coach of Atlético Ottawa," said Manuel Vega, CEO, Atlético Ottawa. "We conducted an extensive search, interviewing top candidates from Canada and abroad, and Diego emerged as the perfect fit. His game model aligns with our club's vision and recruitment strategy, and his experience in Liga MX and extensive playing career bring valuable insight.

"Most importantly, Diego's ability to connect with players and maximize their potential makes him an ideal leader for our team. We're confident he will drive our success while strengthening our foundation for the future."

Mejía will travel to Canada in the coming weeks for Atlético Ottawa's 2025 CPL Preseason Camp Presented by WestJet. The squad will first train in Ottawa before continuing their preparations in Mexico ahead of the new campaign.

Atlético Ottawa technical staff as of January 15, 2025:

Assistant Coaches: Diego Campos (MEX), Romuald Peiser (FRA/CHE)*, Alex Baro (ESP)**

Director of Sports Science: Mitchell Rangel (USA/BRA)

*Peiser will also assume the role of Goalkeeper Coach.

**Baro will also assume the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Diego Campos is a former professional soccer player from Mexico who played in Mexico's top flight (Liga MX) for over 12 years, representing clubs such as Atlas, Puebla and Leones Negros UdeG, among others. After his retirement, Campos coached Puebla's U15, U16, U17 and U18 teams before becoming the club's assistant coach in Liga MX team from 2022 to 2024. Diego obtained a Masters degree in coaching, as well as a Masters degree in international business and soccer management. He speaks fluent Spanish and English at an intermediary level.

Romuald Peiser is a former professional soccer player from France, who notably played for Ottawa Fury (2014-16) where he won the 'Golden Glove' in 2015 before winning the NASL with San Francisco Deltas in 2017. He later became an assistant coach at Sacramento Republic (USL) and, most recently, the Goalkeeper Coach for CF Montréal (MLS) where he won the 2021 TELUS Canadian Championship and participated in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Peiser speaks French, English, German and Portuguese fluently as well as Spanish at an intermediary level.

Alex Baró is a Strength and Conditioning coach from Spain, who also studied Physiotherapy. He has most recently worked as the first-team Physical Trainer for CP San Cristóbal (Spain), Girona FC U19 and U16 teams (Spain) as well as Sant Cugat FC U19 and U16 teams (Spain). Baró speaks fluent Spanish, English and Catalan.

Mitchell Rangel is an American/Brazilian Orthopedics and Sports Physical therapist. He has previously worked as a physical therapist for Brazilian American Football teams, Vasco Alimirantes and Porto Velho Miners, and the Brazilian Wrestling Confederation, treating and preventing injuries for professional and amateur UFC, MMA and Wrestling Athletes. Rangel speaks English and Portuguese fluently and Spanish at an intermediary level.

Current 2025 Atlético Ottawa Roster as of January 15, 2025:

Goalkeepers: Nathan Ingham (CAN)

Defenders: Tyr Walker (CAN), Jonathan Grant (CAN), Amer Didić (CAN)

Midfielders: Manny Aparicio (CAN), Aboubacar Sissoko (CAN), Noah Verhoeven (CAN), Gabriel Antinoro (CAN), Alberto Zapater (ESP)

Forwards: Ballou Tabla (CAN), Kevin Santos (POR), Sam Salter (CAN)

Additionally, Atlético Ottawa picked Cape Breton University's Jason Hartill and Carleton University's Adam N'Goran in the 2025 CPL-U SPORTS Draft, presented by Degree. Both players will join Atlético's pre-season looking to earn a U SPORTS contract for the 2025 CPL season.

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