Mauro Biello named Canada national team assistant coach

Former Montreal Impact head coach Mauro Biello has been named Canada national team assistant coach and EXCEL U-23 program director, Canada Soccer announced on Monday.

Biello, 45, joins the set-up now led by John Herdman, who moved from Canada women's national team head coach to Canada men's national team head coach in January.

“Mauro has a deep passion for soccer in this country,” said Herdman in a statement. “Having represented Canada on a number of different levels and having both played and coached with a Canadian professional team, he brings a unique perspective, in-depth experience and a wisdom that will greatly influence Canadian soccer for years to come.

“Most importantly, Mauro shares Canada Soccers vision of aligning our men’s national team program. His role will focus greatly on graduating young players through the EXCEL system to the men’s national team and ensuring they have success at the senior level, which is one of the most critical factors for future Canadian success on the international stage.”

Biello joins the national team set-up after nearly 25 years' involvement with the Impact, as a player, assistant coach and head coach, the past three seasons as manager. The Montreal native played for the CanMNT four times at senior level between 1995-2000.

“This sport is growing so much in Canada and its great to see how it has developed over the years, but now is the time to put Canadian talent to work in an aligned environment and see these players push their limits and get to the next level,” said Biello. “We want to see Canada consistently win on the international stage so it’s going to take a lot of hard work. We know there are a lot of talented young players and it’s our job to put them into the right conditions to succeed."