The search is finally over.

The Montreal Impact announced that Rémi Garde has been named head coach and director of player personnel, signing a three-year deal. Garde replaces Mauro Biello, who was fired at the end of last season.

"We believe Rémi Garde's tremendous experience, his vision and knowledge of the game and his intimate understanding of youth development will give this club a new start at every level," Impact owner Joey Saputo said on Wednesday.

Garde was most recently the head coach at Aston Villa in the English Premier League in 2015. However, he only coached 20 games before leaving by "mutual consent" in March 2016. He led Olympique Lyonnais of Ligue 1 in France for three seasons prior to his stint with the Villians, where he led them to a Coupe de France title.

Garde spent a large portion of his 12-year playing career with Lyon. He also played at Strasbourg before finishing his career in the English Premiere League, where he helped lead Arsenal to a Premier League title in 1998.

The Impact ended last season with a 11-17-6 record, finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference.