PHOTO | CHARLOTTE FC

New Charlotte FC head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez was introduced to media and supporters Thursday.

Miguel Ángel Ramírez is living his American dream.

Charlotte FC’s inaugural head coach was introduced to the media and supporters on the one-year anniversary of the club’s brand launch. The 36-year-old Spaniard arrived the night before to take on a new challenge, one that will certainly require a lot of espresso, which is his caffeine of choice.

“I have always wanted to experience what it is like to live in such a multicultural and multinational country where everyone has the possibility to live the American dream,” Ramírez said.

Ramírez recalled watching the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which the United States hosted. He said the North American soccer landscape has completely transformed since then.

“MLS has grown into one of the most exciting and promising leagues in the world,” Ramírez said. “This is why I wanted to live the MLS experience. This is my American dream.”

Charlotte FC owner David Tepper said hiring their inaugural head coach was a yearlong process. As soon as he finished their Zoom interview with Ramírez, he knew they had to hire him. What made Ramírez such an attractive hire was the opportunity to do something different.

“We are not going to be afraid to do something different than the rest of MLS and the rest of soccer,” Tepper said. “This is a guy who is not afraid to do new things, try new things.”

Preparing for kickoff
Charlotte kicks off its inaugural MLS season in 2022, giving Ramírez seven months to assemble a squad and implement his possession-oriented, risky style of play. It also includes learning more about the league’s salary budget, which will play a factor in assembling the roster.

“I’m learning,” Ramírez said. “We will need to be creative in this new market.”

Said Tepper Sports & Entertainment President Tom Glick: “He makes the players that he has better, and this is such an important job for a coach.”

A potential approach is finding and developing younger players, who may not cost as much. Acquiring younger players plays into his approach of focusing on the future and establishing the club’s foundation.

While much of his time will be consumed by the first team, expect to see him involved with the academy, which launches its third full time team this summer.
“Of course, the first team activity demands from me too many hours,” Ramírez said. “I know myself. In Brazil and Ecuador when I had a break in the first team, I went to the under 12 training or met with the academy coaches or the academy director.”

Ramírez said investing his time in academy players and coaches is something he learned from others.

How it started
Much of his coaching career has been at the youth level, starting with Union Deportiva Las Palmas from 2004-12 (Charlotte’s inaugural signee, midfielder Sergio Ruiz, is on loan there). Ramírez served as director’s advisor on youth football development, assistant coach for the under-19, 15, 11 and 9 sides and head coach of the U-17, 16, 10 and 9 teams. He also worked with clubs in Greece (Panathinaikos FC, AEK Athens FC and Olympiacos FC), Italy (Atalanta FC), Spain (Athletic Club) and England (Liverpool and Newcastle United) between 2008-17 during what he called a learning phase.

Ramírez is both a teacher and a student. He began pursuing a doctorate in physical education while U-16 head coach for Deportivo Alaves in Spain. He left Europe to work for Aspire Academy in Qatar and from 2012-18 Ramírez was assistant U-12, 13 and 17 coach and head coach for the U-13, 14 and 16 sides.

The Aspire Academy connection with Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle would lead him to another continent in 2018 as academy director but stepped into the role of interim head coach for the first team in 2019. The first-time first team manager led the club to its first win of the Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana (the second most prestigious international competition in South America after Copa Libertadores) in 2019, defeating Argentine club Colón 3-1.

He managed the club through December 2020 before leaving to manage Brazilian side Sport Club Internacional. He coached there for three months before the club fired him after being knocked out of the Copa do Brasil by lower division side Vitória.

Assembling a team
Ramírez’s coaching staff includes Christian Lattanzio and Mikel Antía. The latter, a 49-year-old Spaniard, was his boss in Qatar at Aspire Academy. Ramírez said Antía was a mentor, who taught him so much about the game.

“He lived it as a professional and now being with Rafa Benítez [in Newcastle],” Ramírez said. “He will help me a lot.”

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