Inside the corporate suite at Lansdowne Park, while winter raged outside and snow covered the pitch that will soon be graced by the Canadian Premier League, sangria was passed out to supporters in a typically Spanish, and welcoming manner. Dozens of members of the media, supporters and the soccer community were in attendance for what would surely be a historic day for the new club, the league and the city as the official club colours, logo and name were revealed.

Atleti CEO Miguel Marin.

Photo: Martin Mendizabal

Notable Attendees

There were several notable names and faces at the event today, including CPL Commissioner David Clanachan, Atlético Madrid Owner/CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, Atlético Ottawa President Jeff Hunt, City of Ottawa mayor Jim Watson and others. Each spoke about the importance of the partnership between Madrid and Ottawa and its mutual benefits, as well as the value or soccer in the community.

Miguel Marin said “Just a very simple message. Atletico came to Ottawa to stay,” suggesting this isn’t just a project or idea, but a serious passion and model for the brand going forward. Jeff Hunt said that they hope the build off the foundation Fury built, but also take advantage of the fresh start. It seems like the partners in this are all very dedicated and driven towards achieving the same goals.

Pillars Of The Atlético Brand

Official Club Logo

As previously reported, the club will be called Atlético Ottawa. It doesn’t appear there will be any alternate names, such as Club Atlético de Ottawa, as would be typical with Atlético branding, and the simplicity of ‘Atlético Ottawa’ may play to the clubs advantage. The name ‘Atlético’ was always going to be an important part of the name as it is one of three major concepts of the Atlético brand.

The colours, in traditional Atlético fashion, are red white and blue. These are the colour Atlético have made famously theirs, and have worn for over one hundred years. These are also the colours that other Atlético branded clubs have worn, as seen in both Atlético San Luis and Atlético Kolkata. These colours are two of the three traditional colours used in Ottawa sports, and although there is no black in the colour scheme, it may be good for Atlético is separate themselves from the cliché Ottawa colours.

The logo is simple and slick, using a typically-football like crest with the Atlético famous stripes and the blue silhouette of the famous Ottawa parliament buildings and peace town sitting in the top potion. While it is not as detailed and unique as some other league club’s logos, it is a fairly safe option and easy to market.

New Head Coach

Mista poses with supporters. Photo: Martin Mendizabal

As I first reported on Twitter, Atlético Ottawa have gone ahead and announced former Atlético Madrid, Valencia and Toronto FC striker Miguel “Mista” Martínez as the first head coach and manager of the club. Mista retired from playing following a short stint in Toroto, and has since complete his coaching badges and most recently coached the Rayo U19 side before stepping down last week.

Mista will have only two months to build a roster, but will have the full resources of Atlético Madrid as his disposal. There will be two yet unnamed players coming from the Atlético Madrid system, however Mista will need to quickly familiarise himself with the league, its players and the type of players he needs in his squad.

A Brand New Start

It will be a brand new start for Ottawa soccer however there is such a strong, unique foundation for Atlético Ottawa to build upon. As was seen today, the city is excited about this new club, and is embracing it to its fullest. There is a buzz both in the city and on social media, and there is every reason to believe Atlético Ottawa can be a big success for the league and the city.

Their brand, while unique to Canada, does carry a very unique prestige and is not just a “phony” name like other clubs, such as Real Salt Lake. This club is part of a much bigger brand that will have resources to market the club, build a roster and hopefully have the Ottawa soccer community reach its fullest potential by helping provide a route to professional soccer for youth in the region.

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Stuart Mactaggart Stuart has covered Ottawa soccer for six years, most recently covering Atletico Ottawa.

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