HEALEY: Noah Abatneh sets sights on Europe under the wing of Dwayne De Rosario
Canadian football legend Dwayne De Rosario remembers the first time he saw Noah Abatneh play: his son, Adisa, was representing Canada in the Concacaf U-20 Championship qualifiers and his eye was drawn to a tall defender from Toronto he didn’t know. Naturally, he was intrigued.
“After that first game, I asked my son: ‘Who is this kid on the backline?’” De Rosario tells OneSoccer. “Anytime kids come up in our environment, I like to keep a close eye on them and see how they develop and grow.”
Well, it’s safe to say that Abatneh, now 20-years old, has stayed on De Rosario’s radar as he’s grown in leaps and bounds since arriving to the Canadian Premier League (CPL), fresh off some of Italy’s most storied football academies. And with 35 professional appearances to his name since returning to Canada — not to mention a nomination for CPL Best U-21 Canadian Player in 2024 — Abatneh spent a good deal of his time with the De Rosario family this past off-season as he prepared for his next challenge, having inked a new deal to stay in CPL and play for Atlético Ottawa.
Given his talent, De Rosario says anything is possible for the Toronto-born centre-back.
“Major League Soccer (MLS) is just around the corner,” he says. “I think he’s definitely got the profile to fit into MLS and potentially into the national team. And, if he’s got the desire to go to Europe, that’s an option as well. I think he’s got a high ceiling and it’ll be exciting to see how that plays out through his career if he stays hungry and keeps setting new goals for himself.”
Europe, it turns out, is very much on the radar for Abatneh and his camp as multiple clubs from across the pond came knocking for the former Nine Stripes man following the expiration of his contract, not to mention interest from MLS.
“We had concrete interest from two Bundesliga clubs, of very high standard, and two very interesting, very high standard English Championship clubs,” says Jeremy Dow, Abatneh’s agent and a partner of DC International Sports Management, during an exclusive interview with OneSoccer. “We also had a good MLS club stateside willing to use an international slot that was very keen on him.”
The question, then, is why did Abatneh re-sign in the CPL with suitors — be they North American or European — lining up?
ON A QUEST FOR FIRST-TEAM FOOTBALL
Dow, who is Canadian but works for a Germany-based agency, says the plan for Abatneh has always involved going back to Europe. However, having spent time in Italy with Lazio’s academy and trained with clubs like Arsenal and Fulham at just nine years old, there was a need to secure senior minutes, and the CPL offered a promising opportunity.
“For us it was simple,” explains Dow. “It was the plan all along when we left Italy to go to the CPL, leverage the situation to earn senior minutes and jump back into the European theatre.”
Abatneh found those minutes with York United, joining then-head coach Martin Nash’s side in 2023. Most often, while in Italy, Abatneh had played in the midfield or on the right side of the pitch but at York, the club decided to convert him into a centre-back given his height (6’3) and technical skill. Dow says everyone agreed Abatneh had the tools to become a high-end defender and by year’s end, he’d registered 12 appearances and started to gain momentum.
Fast forward to the end of 2024 and Abatneh had broken out, proving a pivotal piece of a back three split between Nash’s tenure and that of Mexican head coach Benjamin Mora.
Interest from Europe, says Dow, was strong.
The only problem, ironically, is that during a match in October versus Atlético Ottawa, Abatneh sustained a muscle injury. He missed the remainder of York United’s season and was unable to accept the invitations he’d received.
Dow says they had to alter their plan slightly, opting to sign in the CPL for another year (with an option), and there was only one club that fit Abatneh’s needs.
“We had to re-shuffle the cards and in that case, what made the most sense was to partner with Atlético Ottawa. They are the one club (in CPL) that has a solid European footprint because they're part of a European ownership group,” he says.
And signing in the nation’s capital represents a homecoming of sorts, as Abatneh previously played for local side St. Anthony Futuro Soccer Club. Abatneh is also a French speaker, which isn’t to be discounted in the CPL’s only bilingual market.
“This move ticks all the boxes,” says Dow.
OFF-SEASON TRAINING WITH A CANADIAN LEGEND
Make no mistake: 2025 is a huge year for Abatneh and his circle.
After his injury, De Rosario helped the young centre-back by connecting him with Dr. Rudy Singh, who personally looks after the former Toronto FC midfielder and his sons, along with a select group of players. Abatneh also joined the De Rosarios for training sessions to keep him fit during the off-season.
“My goal is to continuously help these young kids, to give them some direction or to help assist them, whether it’s an extra hand with sports science therapy or even just a word of advice. It’s about being there for them,” says De Rosario, adding he hopes to help players like Abatneh achieve their dreams.
But he stresses it’ll also take work, a piece of advice he shared with Abatneh as he heads into a new season.
“It’s like I told him: ‘It’s beast mode time.’ You’re not out there to make friends, you’re there to set the tone, you’re there to set the bar for yourself and don’t look back,” De Rosario recounts. “It’s easy to get complacent.”
Dow says he expects Abatneh to meet the challenge, adding he’s cut from the same competitive cloth as De Rosario, who is also one of his clients.
“Off the pitch, they are people who are very, very serious in their trade,” he says.
It remains to be seen how Abatneh will perform on the pitch come April. However, Dow says the coming months represent a pivotal time for his client as he looks to help Atlético Ottawa and, with a little luck, make that coveted jump back to Europe.
If all goes according to plan, Abatneh may move on sooner rather than later and Atlético Ottawa have proven they’re willing to move on players bound for higher levels; Matteo de Brienne’s recent transfer to GAIS is certainly proof of concept.
“That’s why this represents an exciting opportunity: he’ll be in higher focus at a bigger club with a European standard — because, again, this is Atlético — as we approach the main European window (this summer), or the end of the season if he’s playing for a championship and stays the entire season,” says Dow. “Noah has made the best of his chances.”
