Haralambos "Bobby" Smyrniotis (born April 24, 1979) is a Canadian soccer coach and former player who works as head coach of Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League. Smyrniotis is the co-founder of the Sigma FC soccer academy based in Mississauga.
 Smyrniotis in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Haralambos Smyrniotis | ||
| Date of birth | April 24, 1979[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Scarborough, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Forge FC (head coach) | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Charleston Cougars | |||
| York Lions | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2003–2004 | Olympiacos (academy) | ||
| 2005–2018 | Sigma FC | ||
| 2018– | Forge FC | ||
Playing career
editSmyrniotis played for the College of Charleston and York University.[2]
Coaching career
editEarly career
editIn 2003 and 2004, Smyrniotis was a coach in the academy system of Olympiacos.[3] He co-founded Sigma FC, and was the team's head coach from 2005 to 2018.[4]
Forge FC
edit2019 season
editOn October 1, 2018, Smyrniotis was announced as the first head coach and technical director of Canadian Premier League club Forge FC.[5] During the 2019 season, Forge finished in second place during the Spring and Fall Seasons, both times behind Cavalry FC.[6][7] He became the first coach to win the Canadian Premier League when Forge defeated Cavalry FC in the 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals.[8] Also during the 2019 season, Forge were knocked out in the second qualifying round of the Canadian Championship.[9] They also played in the CONCACAF League where they were knocked out in the Round of 16.[10]
2020–present
editSmyrniotis returned to coach Forge FC for the 2020 season. The 2020 Canadian Premier League season was played in three rounds.[11] Forge qualified for the next round after finishing the first round in third place[12] then qualified for the championship match after finishing in first place in the second round.[13] Forge repeated as league champions after a 2–0 win in the Championship final against HFX Wanderers.[14]
In the 2021 CONCACAF League, Smyrniotis guided Forge FC to the semi-finals, qualifying the club for the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in its history.[15]
In May 2023, Smyrniotis signed a four-year contract extension with Forge. He also became the club's sporting director in addition to his role as head coach.[16] In 2024, Smyrniotis was nominated for Canadian Premier League Coach of the Year for a sixth consecutive season,[17] ultimately winning the award for the first time.[18][19]
Coaching statistics
edit- As of game played November 9, 2024
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Sigma FC | 2014 | September 30, 2018 | 117 | 72 | 24 | 21 | 238 | 135 | +103 | 61.54 | |
| Forge FC | October 1, 2018 | present | 198 | 100 | 42 | 56 | 294 | 195 | +99 | 50.51 | [5][6][7][9][10][11] |
| Total | 315 | 172 | 66 | 77 | 532 | 330 | +202 | 54.60 | — | ||
Personal life
editBorn in Canada, Smyrniotis is of Greek descent.[20] He received a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology & Health Science from York University and a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from the University of Louisville.[5]
Bobby and his brother Costa Smyrniotis were both co-founders of Sigma FC. The brothers also worked together at Forge FC where Costa was the director of football until 2023.[21]
Honours
editCoach
editForge FC
References
edit- ^ "Forge FC roster". Forge FC. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "Forge FC Bobby Smyrniotis named Forge FC technical director and head coach". National Post. The Canadian Press. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Milton, Steve (October 1, 2018). "Opinion | Bobby Smyrniotis named first Forge FC coach". TheSpec.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Urciuoli, Anthony (October 1, 2018). "Forge FC names first-ever head coach". Global News. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Forge FC names Bobby Smyrniotis club's first ever technical director and head coach". forgefc.canpl.ca. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ a b "Canada » Premier League 2019 Spring Season » 3. Round". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Canada » Premier League 2019 Fall Season » 4. Round". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ O’Connor-Clarke, Charlie (November 2, 2019). "Forge FC crowned CPL champions in win over Cavalry". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ a b "Canada » Canadian Championship 2019 » Schedule". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Forge FC » Fixtures & Results 2019/2020". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Forge FC » Fixtures & Results 2020/2021". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Canada » Premier League 2020 First Stage » 2. Round". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Canada » Premier League 2020 Group Stage » 3. Round". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Canada » Premier League 2020 Championship » Final". World Football. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Forge FC advance to SF, qualify for Concacaf Champions League with resounding Leg 2 win vs. Santos". Forge FC. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ O'Connor Clarke, Charlie (May 1, 2023). "Bobby Smyrniotis signs extension with Forge FC, role expanded to head coach & sporting director". OneSoccer. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Mora, Smyrniotis, Wheeldon Jr. Nominated for 2024 Canadian Premier League Coach of the Year Award". Canadian Premier League. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (November 7, 2024). "Forge FC's Bobby Smyrniotis named 2024 CPL Coach of the Year". Canadian Premier League.
- ^ Milton, Steve (November 8, 2024). "Borges first repeat Player of Year; Smyrniotis finally named coach of the year; Poku chosen top U-21". Forge FC.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (October 20, 2020). "Forge FC coach Bobby Smyrniotis' influence on Canadian soccer continues to grow". CFJC Today Kamloops. The Canadian Press. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Forge FC executive Costa Smyrniotis joins Canadian Premier League front office - Hamilton". Global News. The Canadian Press. April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
Further reading
edit- Kloke, Joshua (September 22, 2023). "Meet Bobby Smyrniotis: The tactics-first coach the Canada men's team needs?". The Athletic. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.