The Halifax Wanderers have announced former Vancouver Whitecaps manager Vanni Sartini as the club’s new head coach — a move that some in the Canadian soccer community are calling the biggest coaching signing in Canadian Premier League history.
The new appointment comes after the Wanderers parted ways with former manager Patrice Gheisar in October, following a disappointing exit during the play-in round of the Canadian Premier League playoffs.
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Santini, who led the Vancouver Whitecaps to three consecutive Canadian Championship titles between 2022 and 2024, comes with plenty of experience.
The decorated Italian manager, widely known for his tactics and entertaining press conferences, brought the Whitecaps to three playoff appearances in Major League Soccer during his three-and-a-half year stint.
Prior to Sartini’s leadership, the Whitecaps had only qualified for the post-season on four occasions.
Since beginning his coaching career in 2008, Sartini worked with his country’s national football federation before spending time on the coaching staff of several teams in Serie B, the second-highest division of Italian soccer, before making his move to North America.
Sartini watched the Vancouver Whitecaps from afar this season as his former team made it to three finals. He was fired from the club in November 2024 after a first-round playoff loss to Los Angeles FC.
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