Hartford Athletic names Premier League’s Jaïdi as new coach
Photo | Hartford Athletic
Radhi Jaïdi is the new head coach of the Hartford Athletic.
The Hartford Athletic soccer club on Friday announced the hiring of a new head coach, less than two weeks after mutually parting ways with Jimmy Nielsen.
The Division II professional soccer franchise, part of the United Soccer League (USL), on Friday named Radhi Jaïdi, a coach from the under-23 Southampton Football Club of the English Premier League (EPL), as its new coach.
Jaïdi will lead the team as they prepare for its second season playing at Hartford’s historic Dillon Stadium.
The franchise on Friday said Jaïdi’s hiring also signals a new partnership between the Athletic and Southampton, which could involve future player loans.
“We have concluded our international search for our next head coach and could not be more excited to welcome Radhi to Hartford,” said Hartford Athletic CEO and Chairman Bruce Mandell.
Before coaching in the EPL, which is widely considered the world’s top domestic soccer league, Jaïdi played professionally for several teams in his home country of Tunisia, North Africa. He also played for Southampton and on the Tunisian National Team in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
“I have seen the fans in action and cannot wait to be part of the atmosphere at Dillon Stadium," Jaïdi said. "We have a big task at hand, and there is so much potential in Hartford and in the USL Championship overall."
The Athletic is coming off its first regular season in the USL with eight wins, 21 losses and five ties. That ranked the team second-to-last, or 17th, in the league’s Eastern Conference.
The team drew more than 5,000 fans per game at the 5,500-seat Dillon Stadium.
In recent weeks, the Athletic announced that several players have been re-signed for their second season.
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