MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Wednesday that Rémi Garde has been named head coach and director of player personnel of the club’s first team. Garde signed a three-year deal with the Impact.

“We are very happy and proud that Rémi Garde is joining the Montreal Impact,” announced Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo. “As player, assistant coach and head coach, he excelled by demonstrating his qualities as a leader and his knowledge of the game. His vision and his experience, also in the development of young players, will allow us to continue to improve our methods and work process at the Academy. It really is a fresh start on many levels.”

Garde, 51, won the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions in 2012 at the helm of Olympique Lyonnais, acting as head coach and technical director of Lyon from 2011 to 2014. During his time, he successively led the OL to fourth, third and fifth place in Ligue 1, to the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League Round of 16, to the 2013-2014 UEFA Europa League quarter-final round and to the 2012 and 2014 Coupe de la Ligue finals. He left Olympique Lyonnais with a record of 86 wins, 46 losses and 36 ties in 168 games.

Recognized as a good youth trainer, he was influential in the development of several young players at Olympique Lyonnais, including France internationals Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Maxime Gonalons (A.S. Roma), Clément Grenier (Olympique Lyonnais), Samuel Umtiti (FC Barcelone), Nabil Fekir (Olympique Lyonnais) and Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), as well as Portugal international Anthony Lopez (Olympique Lyonnais).

At OL, he previously was part of the coaching staff of renowned head coaches Paul Le Guen, between 2003 and 2005, and Gérard Houllier, between 2005 and 2007, participating in the historic run of Ligue 1 championships, lifting the trophy four times from 2004 to 2007, while also winning the Trophée des Champions in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

More recently, he was the head coach of Aston Villa, in the English Premier League, from November 2015 to March 2016.

Made in Olympique Lyonnais

Originally from L'Arbresle, in the Lyon suburbs, Garde spent more than 25 years with his hometown club, actively acting in its rise to the French footballing elite.

Joining the club academy at the age of 13, Garde made his professional debut in 1984, when OL was playing in the second division. He helped the team win the Ligue 2 championship and earn promotion to Ligue 1 in 1989, under Raymond Domenech and Bernard Lacombe, and then wore the captain’s armband from 1990 to 1993. He cumulated more than 150 career games under the Lyon colours.

Before being named head coach in 2011, Garde was in charge of recruitment from 2007 and 2010, and was named the director of the Academy in 2010.

A good impression on the field with Arsenal

After three seasons with Strasbourg, from 1993 to 1996, where he won the Coupe Intertoto and was a Coupe de France finalist in 1995, the defensive midfielder joined English club Arsenal in July 1996, following the positive insight of renowned French head coach Arsène Wenger.

In England, he helped the Gunners win the Premier League and FA Cup in 1998, and became the first foreign player to act as team captain for Arsenal. He played 43 games in North London, including five games in the UEFA Champions League.

On the international stage, Garde was selected six times with the France national team, playing in Euro 1992, in Sweden.