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Miguel Angel Ramirez, 36, is reported to be Charlotte FC's inaugural head coach.

Charlotte FC has its inaugural head coach.

Miguel Ángel Ramírez’s official announcement as head coach by the expansion Major League Soccer franchise is expected this week. News of Ramírez’s hire was first reported by the Athletic. It will be the 36-year-old Spaniard’s first time coaching in MLS when the club debuts in 2022. He will join the club with a roster of six players, only one of whom has MLS experience (midfielder Brandt Broncico, a Charlotte alumnus).

Ramírez started coaching at the youth level with Union Deportiva Las Palmas, where Charlotte’s inaugural signee, midfielder Sergio Ruiz, is on loan.

The road to Charlotte
Ramírez spent 2004-12 with Las Palmas as director’s advisor on youth football development, assistant coach for the under-19, 15, 11 and 9 sides and ultimately head coach of the U-17, 16, 10 and 9 teams. Between 2008-17 he experienced what he described as a learning phase, working with clubs across Europe, such as Panathinaikos FC, AEK Athens FC and Olympiacos FC in Greece, Atalanta FC in Italy, Athletic Club in Spain, as well as Newcastle United and Liverpool in England.

Ramírez was regional coordinator of Liverpool Football & Languages as the English side pushed to expand its reach to the Canary Islands. In 2012, Ramírez served as the U-16 head coach for Deportivo Alaves in Spain while also pursuing a doctorate in physical education.

He left Europe to pursue opportunities in Qatar as assistant U-12, 13 and 17 coach and head coach for the U-13, 14 and 16 sides with Aspire Academy from 2012-18. Aspire Academy collaborated with Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle. The connection would lead to Ramírez’s introduction and ultimately opportunity to step into a managerial role.

In 2018, he accepted the position as academy director for the Ecuadorian side, remaining in the role until May 2019 when the club named him interim head coach. He replaced Ismael Rescalvo, who left the club to manage Emelec, another Ecuadorian club.

Ramírez led the club to its first win of the Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana in 2019, defeating Argentine club Colón 3-1. It is the second most prestigious international competition in South America behind Copa Libertadores.

Ramírez went on to manage the club through December 2020, followed by a three-month stint as first team head coach of Sport Club Internacional in Brazil. The club fired him after being knocked out of the Copa do Brasil by lower tier side Vitória.

Style of play
Expect Ramírez to establish a possession-oriented style in Charlotte, which is exactly the type of coach Charlotte FC Sporting Director Zoran Krneta and company have been looking for. Krneta also said they would produce exciting, high-press, attacking football. Ramírez prefers what he described as a risky style.

“I obviously want to keep balance, which allows me to defend, but I like to subdue the opponent, playing close to the opposing goal,” Ramírez told the Athletic in December. “In terms of the relationship with space, it’s like a chess game: the opponent might leave a gap, or not and there are certain spaces I want to win. I play with the opponent to win certain areas where I think I can do damage.”

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