JAKUBEC: How Atlético Ottawa convinced Didic not to retire & Aparicio to switch over for 'SuperClub' project

It's not often a 6th-place team is the talk of the offseason... especially in a league dominated by its two juggernauts.

Forge FC of Hamilton, ON and Cavalry FC of Calgary, AB – competitors of last year's final – have set the standard for the Canadian Premier League since day one. But while both clubs flew off to represent the CPL against Liga MX and MLS opposition in the most recent Concacaf Champions Cup, that 6th-place club started dominating the transfer mill headlines.

Now, with the league's 2024 season kick-off just one day away, this 6th-place team is being called a "SuperClub" – and while the moniker seems a little outrageous to this broadcaster (this isn’t FC Sheriff in the Moldovan League!) there is no doubt that Atlético Ottawa had the most awe-inspiring offseason in CPL history.

The list of new acquisitions reads like a league best XI nomination list: Ballou Tabla, Matteo de Brienne, Kris Twardek, Kevin dos Santos, Aboubacar Sissoko, Rayane Yesli... then, out of Pacific FC, Manny Aparicio and Amer Didić signed for Ottawa and even more shockwaves were felt around the league. One by one they continued to add to an already-impressive core led by Nathan Ingham, Ollie Bassett, Alberto Zapater and Maxim Tissot. On paper? This team looks, well... kind of super.

Atleti first arrived as a competitive force in 2022, winning the regular season title before falling to a superior Forge side in the CPL Final. But the depth and quality of this squad looks to be a more sustainable threat to the likes of Cavalry and Forge.

So how did they build it, anyway?

For Atlético Ottawa CEO and General Manager Fernando Lopez, it started with more input from head coach Carlos Gonzalez.

"Carlos has always been involved in the recruitment process," Lopez said, in an interview with this reporter for TSN 1200 Radio. "But this year he has been critical. He has been in every single conversation. When I talk to the players I can give an overview of the club. But when the coach talks their language – which is football – it's a completely different thing."

Lopez says they’ve learned a lot of hard lessons in five years of building the club, too: "When we first got into the league in 2020 we built the roster in two weeks. We saw what was available and that's what we signed. With the years we have had time to build relationships with agents, players, to get to know better the level of the league and the teams. We had four years to work on all of those things and to build our credibility."

He also pointed to their successes in the 2022 season for helping build that credibility on the field: "I think people really started to take us seriously. I think they want to be a part of this. It’s not only Atlético Ottawa. It’s being a part of Atlético Madrid. Having the best fan base of the competition. Playing in the best stadium of the CPL. Living in one of the best cities in Canada. Having all the benefits and infrastructure that we provide the players"

Lopez says they’ve learned what types of players you need to succeed in CPL. And it starts with domestic talent.

"I feel like we’re entering a different cycle," he reflected. "We acknowledge who were the best players of the CPL. It's very important to have local and domestic players that know the competition. Different time zones. Crazy travel. You need to have players that have won in this league. More winners that can help us build a winning DNA that we want to establish here."

One player that arrives in Ottawa with a winning pedigree is midfielder Manny Aparicio. He recently described why he wanted to join the club to TSN 1200’s Corner Kicks soccer show:

"Yeah, 2022 was a great year for the club. 2023 was a big drop off," Aparicio offered. "And I think it really showed at the end of the season with some of the signings that they weren’t messing around. Having a team that wants to compete for everything is a huge thing. I consider myself someone who wants to win all the time. I think it’s going to be a good fit."

He continued: "I’m originally from Argentina so the Spanish culture was a big factor (in my decision). On top of that, my wife went to Carleton. So she has ties to Ottawa as well. All the pieces fit to make the move."

While Aparicio, 28, is looking to enter the prime of his career at Ottawa, 29-year-old central defender Amer Didić chose playing in Ottawa over outright retirement.

"There was uncertainty within myself and what I wanted to do next... whether it was even to keep playing," Didić admitted. "In conversations with the Atlético staff, it was clear Carlos and Fernando had a vision. We discussed the quality that was going to be built within the team and that was something I wanted to be a part of. It's exciting."

Lopez says it was also important to add more local talent alongside veteran Gatineau native Maxim Tissot, too.

"We want to bring together the best young players of our region. We know that makes a difference for us as a club, for the players, but also for our fans. They prefer to have players like Matteo de Brienne, Kris Twardek, Tyr Walker, Luca Piccioli. That's been the strategy this year."

Didić knows there’s a lot of work ahead for the squad, but laughed off the 'SuperClub' label.

"For me it’s funny. You hear 'SuperClub' – I even heard the term Galacticos, like Real Madrid!? You can't get carried away with the names on paper. We have to go out and work hard and bring it together on the pitch."

On paper, Atlético Ottawa looks like a side that is capable of competing for trophies. The road to CPL glory still goes through Hamilton and Calgary, but a smashing offseason has firmly put Atleti back in the conversation. The rest is up to them, now.

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