Bats, Flachez, Duverne to he Garde’s assistant coaches with Impact
MONTREAL — When Canada played its first game at its one and only trip to the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, it was against France and Joel Bats was the French goalkeeper.
Now Bats will see more Canadian soccer up close as part of new head coach Remi Garde’s staff with the Montreal Impact.
Garde named an all-French group of assistants on Wednesday, all but one with connections to his former club Lyon.
Bats is goalkeeping coach, Maxence Flachez is assistant coach and Robert Duverge is fitness coach, while Wilfried Nancy is the lone coach kept on from former head coach Mauro Biello’s staff. Garde, named head coach on Nov. 11, wanted at least one assistant with MLS experience and who knows the players.