The local soccer franchise 1812 FC Barrie has announced the appointment of Francis Cagigao to its board of directors.
For the past 25 years, Cagigao has held various roles with Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League, most recently as the head of international scouting. He worked under Arsène Wenger for 21 years.
In his tenure with Arsenal, Cagigao discovered players such as Lauren, Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Vela, and Robin van Persie.
In Barrie, Cagigao will be responsible for player development and oversee the club's international scouting and relationships.
"Francis will bring unparalleled football knowledge and international access to Huronia region footballers," team officials said in a tweet Thursday morning.
Prior to Arsenal, Cagigao was a professional player and coach in Spain and England.
The 1812 FC Barrie franchise is a high-performance soccer team coming to League1 Ontario in 2021, in partnership with Barrie Soccer Club and the Huronia Regional Soccer Association.
League1 Ontario is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in Ontario and is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association as a Division III league in the Canadian soccer league system.
The team is in talks to play on Georgian College’s J.C. Massie Field when play begins, running from May to October.
The club also recently named Julian de Guzman as president and co-owner of the club.
For more information, visit the team's website.
