OTTAWA — Paul Dalglish has resigned as general manager and head coach of the United Soccer League’s Ottawa Fury and has been replaced on an interim basis by Julian de Guzman.
The Fury announced the move in a release Tuesday.
De Guzman, a former Fury and Canadian national team captain, is the most capped player in Canadian men’s history. He announced his retirement this past January and immediately began his coaching career remaining with the Fury as the club’s assistant GM and assistant coach.
"Paul informed the club that he intended to leave at the end of the season for personal reasons, however we jointly decided it would be better for the team to make that change now," Fury president John Pugh said in a statement. "This decision will give Julian the opportunity to get the rest of the season under his belt, starting with a lengthy three-game road trip that will give the team a solid week together amidst this mid-season change."
Dalglish, a Glasgow-born former player and the son of former Scotland and Liverpool star Kenny Dalglish, was hired by the Fury in 2015 to replace Marc Dos Santos. He posted a 19-25-16 record at the Fury’s helm as the team transitioned form the North American Soccer League to the USL.
"In addition to his exceptional knowledge of and experience with the game, Paul brought enthusiasm, commitment and a great sense of humour to work each day," Pugh said. "He was instrumental with our program to move to the USL at the start of this season and has done everything that we have asked of him in terms of growing professional soccer in Ottawa.
"We are very appreciative of the time that Paul has spent with us."
De Guzman’s first game as coach is Wednesday at Orlando.
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