MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Monday that Marco Schällibaum has been named the new head coach of the first team of the club.

Marco Schällibaum, 50, has coached for almost 10 years in the Super League - the Swiss first division - for FC Basel, BSC Young Boys, Servette FC, FC Sion, FC Schaffhausen and AC Bellinzona.

Schällibaum led the BSC Young Boys and Servette FC to consecutive UEFA Cup qualifications in 2002-2003 and the following year, respectively.

Most recently in 2011 and 2012, he was appointed by FIFA as a coaching instructor, most notably in Qatar, Mongolia and South Korea. He obtained his UEFA Pro coaching certification in 2002 and speaks four languages: German, French, Italian and English.

Schällibaum started his pro coaching career in third division with Stade Nyonnais in 1995. He has also coached second division sides Concordia Basel and FC Lugano, in the Challenge League.

Schäullibaum will help club succeed

“I am very pleased and proud to be the head coach of the Montreal Impact,” said Schällibaum. “From our very first discussion, I felt confidence with the management. The club is passionate about the game, like me, and is made up of people who are passionate as well and who want to go in the same direction. I watched a few of the team’s games from last season on video. We have a good roster with quality players and I saw a lot on character on the field. I will do all I can to help this team win.”

“We are very happy to announce the hiring of Marco as our new head coach for the club’s second season in MLS,” declared Impact president Joey Saputo. “It’s the culmination of a long and exhaustive process. From the very first meeting, both parties felt comfortable with one another.”

“We are confident that Marco Schällibaum will help us succeed,” added sporting director Nick De Santis. “He has a lot of experience at a very high level and has acquired a lot of knowledge over the years. Over the different meetings, we felt a real desire on his part to come to MLS and to this club. With the rest of the technical staff, we will put him in the best situation possible in order to help him adapt quickly to the reality of North America. He is also very passionate about the game and is an excellent communicator that speaks a number of languages.”

As a player, Schällibaum had a 15 year career in the Swiss first division from 1980 to 1995, playing more than 450 games with Grasshopper Zurich, FC Basel, Servette FC and FC Luzerne, winning three league titles. He also played in 50 Swiss Cup games, winning the title in 1983 with Grasshopper Zurich. During that time, he made 31 appearances for the Swiss national team from 1983 to 1988.

Training camp

The Impact will kick off its next training camp in Montreal on January 21. For a second consecutive year, the Impact will take part in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic tournament in Orlando, Florida, in preparation for the 2013 season, from February 9 to 23. Packages to travel to Florida are available via impactmontreal.com.

2013 Season

The Montreal Impact will play its home opener on Saturday, March 16 against Toronto FC, at Olympic Stadium. As part of opening day, the Impact plays its very first of 34 regular season matches on March 2 against the Sounders FC in Seattle.

Season Tickets

2013 season tickets are now available in seven categories, at a cost of $295, $385, $475, $580, $770 and $1070. You can assure your spot for the 2013 season by contacting the Impact’s sales and services team at 514-328-3668.