Nicolas Gagnon named set-piece coach for Canadian men’s soccer team

Canada coach Jesse Marsch has added set-piece coach Nicolas Gagnon to his staff.

Gagnon most recently worked in England for Southampton, which is headed back to England’s second-tier Championship after a season in the Premier League.

Gagnon, who attended the University of Sherbrooke, worked for CF Montreal from 2012 to 2021, working with the academy and coaching the under-17 team before finishing his time there as coach of the club’s reserve side.

He then set up his own set-piece consulting service.

In late 2023, he spent four months as set piece coach for Turkey’s second-division side Goztepe, leaving the job early because of a family matter back home. When he was ready to return, club owner Sport Republic offered him a job instead at Southampton, which it also owned, in October 2024.

Before joining Montreal, Gagnon was an educator with the Regional Associations of Richelieu-Yamaska, the South Shore and the Eastern Townships programs.

Gagnon joins Mauro Biello, Ewan Sharp and Pierre Barrieu as permanent members of Marsch’s staff.

Paolo Ceccarelli serves as part-time goalkeeper coach with Marsch bringing in a variety of guest coaches, from former striker Dwayne De Rosario and Halifax Wanderers coach Patrice Gheisar to Canadian women’s coach Casey Stoney, for camps.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.

The Canadian Press